Occupation Troops Begin Withdrawal From Hebron As Cabinet Again Rebuffs UN Jenin Probe Mission

30/04/2002| IslamWeb

HIGHLIGHTSWithdrawal From Hebron Expected Completed By Nightfall++Curfew Enforced Near Ramallah++Free-Arafat Deal Hinges on USA Veto Against Imposing UN Jenin Mission on Israel++Palestinians Leave Church But Standoff Far From Over++STORY: Israel has again decided to ban the arrival of a UN Jenin Probe Mission in what appears to be a crack in an Israeli-American based on Israel accepting an American free-Arafat deal in return for Washington's veto in the UN Security Council if it opts for imposing the Mission on Israel despite its opposition to its composition and terms of mandate. Meanwhile, occupation troops began withdrawing from Hebron but enforced curfew on a Ramallah neighborhood as Palestinians played down reports of a near-deal with Israel over the standoff at the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem.

WITHDRAWAL FROM HEBRON
Israeli occupation troops, meanwhile, began withdrawing from the West Bank town of Hebron on Tuesday; a day after troops entered the Palestinian city, killing nine Palestinians and arresting dozens. Israeli radio reports said all occupation troops would have left by nightfall. (Read photo caption below).

Earlier Tuesday, occupation troops had searched for wanted Palestinians and tanks surrounded Al Ahli Hospital, barring ambulances from entering or leaving, hospital officials said. The Israeli military said there was suspicion a wanted Palestinian was hiding in the hospital.

Israeli occupation forces entered Hebron on Monday, in response to a weekend attack on an internationally illegal Jewish settlement in which four internationally illegal settlers were killed.

Israeli occupation army sources claimed among 120 Palestinians arrested in the city were close to 20 men wanted by Israel.

Also Tuesday, Israeli troops briefly raided the village of Shawara, near Bethlehem and arrested six Palestinians before withdrawing, the occupation army said.

PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS BEGIN LEAVING CHURCH IN BETHLEHEM

Palestinian civilians began emerging Tuesday through the low-slung door at the Church of the Nativity in what was expected to be the largest single group to exit the besieged compound since a standoff began nearly a month ago, a Palestinian official said.

Palestinian negotiator Imad Natche said an agreement was reached during Tuesday's talks with Israeli military officers at the Bethlehem Peace Center, adjacent to the church.

A total of 27 Palestinian civilians and one Palestinian policemen were expected to leave, Natche told The Associated Press. Israel's army will verify their identities and then release them, he added.

The standoff began April 2 when Israeli troops invaded Bethlehem in search of militants. Before Tuesday, about 50 people had come out of the church, and the largest group to emerge at any one time was nine youths who left last Thursday.

About 200 people remain inside, including Palestinian gunmen, policemen and civilians, along with Christian clerics, monks and nuns.

Israel says all are free to go except the 20 to 30 gunmen whom it wants to arrest or send into permanent exile. The Palestinians have refused, saying the gunmen should be allowed to go to the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip.

Despite the latest breakthrough, Palestinian officials played down U.S. assertions that the two sides were close to a comprehensive deal.

NO SIGNS ARAFAT CONFINEMENT WAS OVER

At Yasser Arafat's headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah, there was no sign that his confinement by Israel was over, despite such assertions by Israel's defense minister Monday. Tanks ringed the Palestinian leader's compound, and occupation troops enforced a curfew in the adjoining neighborhood.

Israel consented to the plan with the understanding that the United States would stand by Israel's side in its increasingly tense showdown with the United Nations over the Jenin Probe Mission.

It's not immediately clear if a Washington's decision not to veto a UN Security decision to impose the UN Jenin Probe Mission on Israel is behind Israel's reluctance to go ahead with the free-Arafat deal.

Israel and the Palestinians agreed Sunday to a U.S. proposal that restores Arafat's freedom of movement, and in exchange, six wanted men inside the compound would be imprisoned in a Palestinian jail, watched over by U.S. and British officials. Once the prisoners have been transferred, Arafat would be able to move.

A makeshift Palestinian court has convicted four of the men in the killing of Israeli Cabinet Minister Rehavam Zeevi last October. The fifth man leads the political faction that carried out the killing and the sixth is an Arafat aide suspected of orchestrating a large arms smuggling operation.

However, Yasser Abed Rabbo, the information minister, said he expected arrangements to be in place within 24 hours that would allow the Palestinian leader to leave the headquarters.

ISRAEL AGAIN REBUFFS UN JENIN MISSION

In Jerusalem, Israel's security Cabinet decided not to cooperate with a U.N. inquiry into events at the Jenin camp until six Israeli demands had been met regarding the mandate and composition of the team.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Tuesday he doubted the United Nations would agree to the Israeli conditions and expressed concern that it would now impose the inquiry on Israel.

Peres said he did not expect the United States to veto such a step, since Washington supports the inquiry in principle. Israeli officials had said Monday they expected U.S. support in a showdown with the United Nations in exchange for Israel's agreement to release Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from confinement. However, Peres denied the United States ever held out such a promise.

Israel initially agreed to the formation of the fact-finding team, but then raised a number of concerns. Israel wants a say over who can be called as a witness and what documents will be presented to the panel, and insists that Israeli soldiers be protected from prosecution.

PALESTINIANS WANT UN IMPOSE SANCTION ON ISRAEL

Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said Israel's decision "is a clear indicator that the Israeli government committed war crimes in the Jenin refugee camp." Abed Rabbo demanded that the U.N. Security Council impose sanctions on Israel.

In New York, Annan was increasingly impatient. "At this stage, it was very urgent that we go in, find out what happened (in Jenin), and put all the rumors and the accusations behind us," Annan said Monday.

PHOTO CAPTION

Israeli occupation soldiers walk along the streets of the West Bank town of Hebron on Monday, April 29, 2002 carrying mobile phones and other items collected after searching some Palestinian men. Israeli occupation forces pushed into this West Bank city early Monday, killing nine Palestinians, just hours after Israel's Cabinet reluctantly agreed to a U.S. proposal to release Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from his month-long confinement and allow him to travel freely. (AP Photo/Enric Marti)