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| Wednesday, 19 January 2005 |
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Israel to give Abbas 'limited' amount of time to fight militants JERUSALEM, Tuesday (AFP) Israel will give new Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas a "limited" amount of time to allow him to crack down on militant groups, a source close to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told AFP Tuesday. "We are according Abu Mazen (Abbas) a limited delay to let him decide whether to fight against terrorism," the source said on condition of anonymity. "If he does not change the rules of the game, then the Palestinians will pay an enormous price." Abbas gave orders on Monday to his security services to prevent attacks by militant groups such as Hamas and is due to hold talks in Gaza City on Wednesday with leaders of the factions in order to persuade them to agree to a new ceasefire. Army radio reported on Monday that chief of staff Moshe Yaalon had demanded that plans be drawn up for a large-scale land operation in Gaza if attacks continue. "As the elected president, he must choose whether to remain hostage to the terrorists and do nothing or to decide to act against them." The official said that Abbas could decide to deploy "30,000 armed men in the areas of the Gaza Strip where the terrorists fire rockets and mortar shells against Israeli territory or the settlements." Palestinian security sources say that they have received orders from Abbas for "intensive" deployments of security forces around the border crossings in Gaza into Israel. Sharon severed all contacts with the Palestinian Authority in the aftermath of a suicide attack on one of the crossings on Thursday which left six Israelis dead. The attack was claimed by three factions, including an armed offshoot of Abbas' own Fatah organisation. |
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