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Defense Minister Mofaz: freezing handover of cities
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| By Associated Press February 26, 2005 |
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Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz blamed Syria on Saturday for a suicide bombing that killed four Israelis in Tel Aviv, and also froze plans to hand over security responsibilities in the West Bank to the Palestinians.
Abbas angrily accused a "third party" of orchestrating the suicide bombing to sabotage the Mideast peace process, and his security officials directly said the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah was involved.
In Beirut, however, Hezbollah denied the accusations, and Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group, claimed responsibility from Lebanon, reversing initial denials by its members in the Palestinian territories.
Involvement by a local group like Islamic Jihad will put tremendous pressure on Abbas to crack down on militants. If an outside group is involved, however, Israel is likely to give him more leeway.
Mofaz announced Israel's response to the bombing after huddling with senior security commanders late Saturday in Tel Aviv. In a statement, Mofaz blamed Islamic Jihad and Syria, where the group is based.
"The defense minister ruled that Israel sees Syria and the Islamic Jihad movement are those standing behind the murderous attack in Tel Aviv," a statement from Mofaz's office said.
Israel has repeatedly demanded that Syria close the headquarters of Palestinian militant groups in Damascus and end its support for other militant organizations.
Israeli security officials said there were no immediate plans to attack Syria. Instead, the country will launch a diplomatic effort in hopes of winning U.N. condemnation of Syria. In 2003, Israeli warplanes bombed an Islamic Jihad base in Syria in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed 19 people at a restaurant.
Syrian officials did not immediately comment.
Israeli security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the truce no longer applied to Islamic Jihad militants in the Palestinian territories, and said they may resume assassinations of the group's leaders.
A resumption of Israel's targeted killings of wanted militants, which Israel recently agreed to halt, would likely mean the end of the cease-fire.
Further straining the cease-fire, Mofaz ordered a freeze in plans to withdraw troops from five West Bank towns and hand over security responsibilities to the Palestinians. The handover is among the most significant gestures by Israel in the wake of the cease-fire.
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