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Militants march during a rally against the alleged desecration, denied by Israel, of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, at the hands of Israeli prison guards, in Gaza city, Monday June 13, 2005. (AP)
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| By Associated Press June 13, 2005 |
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| AP |
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Islamic militants on Monday renewed threats to call off a cease-fire, but said they would continue to observe the shaky truce despite a recent flare-up in fighting with Israeli troops.
A collapse in the four-month-old truce would be a major setback for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, who hopes to restart peace talks with Israel. The Israelis have said there can be no peace talks until Abbas takes tougher steps toward reining in militants.
The cease-fire, declared on Feb. 8 by Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, has brought a noticeable lull in fighting after more than four years of bloodshed.
However, sporadic violence, including Israeli arrest raids and Palestinian mortar and rocket attacks, has continued. In new violence Monday, Palestinians fired a rocket into a Jewish settlement in the northern Gaza Strip, causing no injuries, the army said.
The militant groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, threatened to call off the cease-fire following a meeting of 13 Palestinian factions in Gaza.
"A one-sided truce will not be accepted and cannot continue," the factions said in a statement. "We hold the Zionist enemy completely responsible for the deterioration of the truce."
The groups said they would continue to consult with one another to determine an "appropriate response to the ongoing aggression."
Leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which have carried out dozens of suicide bombings in recent years, have issued similar threats in recent weeks, most recently on Sunday.
Abbas traveled to Gaza last week for talks with the militant groups in a bid to shore up the cease-fire. His foreign minister, Nasser al-Kidwa, said Monday that the Palestinian Authority expects the militants to honor the agreement.
"We made our positions clear and said that compliance will be full and this is not a tactical matter," al-Kidwa said on Israel TV. "This is something that we have to adhere to."
Palestinian officials said they expected the truce to survive the latest test.
"I think the Palestinian factions are eager to keep the quiet for Palestinian reasons, if Israel is committed to stop its attacks," said Ziad Abu Amr, an independent legislator who participated in the weekend meetings.
He declined to elaborate. But Palestinian negotiators, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the militants also are protesting Abbas' recent decision to indefinitely postpone legislative elections. Hamas is widely expected to make a strong showing.
A new poll released Monday showed a surge in popularity for Hamas, although it said Abbas' Fatah Party would still win the election.
Fatah would capture 44 percent of the seats, compared with 33 percent by Hamas, said the poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. A similar poll in December showed 40 percent support for Fatah and 18 percent for Hamas. The poll of 1,320 people had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
Jibril Rajoub, Abbas' national security adviser, said there is a consensus among Palestinian groups that the cease-fire should remain in effect at least through Israel's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and part of the West Bank. The pullout is scheduled to begin in August.
"We should let the occupation leave quietly," he said. "After the Israeli withdrawal, we can sit and evaluate things the same way we did when we agreed on the cease-fire."
After initially envisioning the pullout as a unilateral move, Israel has offered to coordinate the operation with the Palestinians if things remain quiet. But it says it won't resume peace talks until Abbas reins in militants. Abbas refuses to confront the militant groups, preferring to negotiate with them.
"I think the Palestinian leadership understands very well that the strengthening the issue of security will really clear the way for the continuation for the peace process," Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres told Israel TV.
Israeli officials said the militants' latest threats were an internal Palestinian matter.
"Israel never had any illusions about the true nature of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad," said Mark Regev, spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, saying the two groups are responsible for "countless acts" of violence against Israelis.
"For us the partner is the Palestinian Authority," he added. "We are hoping that the Palestinian Authority will finally take the steps to dismantle these groups so they don't torpedo the process of dialogue."
With tensions rising, Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman is expected in the region this week for talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Egypt often mediates between the two sides, and is also being asked to play a role in securing its border with Gaza after the Israeli pullout.
The visit is part of a flurry of diplomacy leading up to a June 21 meeting between Sharon and Abbas, their first gathering since the February summit. Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, White House official Elliot Abrams and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are also scheduled to visit in the next week.
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