Israeli-Palestinian Confrontations Pick up Following Iraq War Lull

29/03/2003| IslamWeb

A Palestinian activist died in an Israeli occupation army raid in the West Bank and rockets were fired at Israel, in a renewed flare-up of intifadha, uprising for independence, confrontations after a lull of several days since war broke out in Iraq.On the diplomatic front, Israel showed satisfaction with US President George W. Bush's announcement that the international "roadmap" for Middle East peace would soon be unveiled, while the Palestinians reserved judgment.

Israeli occupation troops shot dead an armed Palestinian, aged 20, and wounded another during an incursion in the town of Tulkarem, raising to 3,114 the number of people killed since the September 2000 outbreak of the Palestinian uprising.

Three homemade Qassam rockets were fired late Thursday from the Gaza Strip at Sderot in southern Israel, without causing casualties or damage.

The Islamic resistance movement Hamas said its fighters carried out the attack to avenge the army's killing of two Palestinians the previous day during an incursion in the Strip.

It was both the first large-scale Israeli action in the territory and the first rocket attack on the Jewish state since the US-led war on Iraq started on March 20.

Earlier Friday, the occupation army carried out a raid in southern Gaza, dynamiting the house in Khan Yunis of a Hamas activist where weapons were found.

And two Palestinians were shot and wounded by occupation army gunfire outside Khan Yunis.

'Roadmap' to be Unveiled After Iraq War

A senior Israeli official said the roadmap would not be published until after the war in Iraq.

"We don't expect this document to be published before the end of the campaign in Iraq and until the United States consult us in advance," the official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

He said Israel was pleased with Bush's pledge Thursday for the document to be published soon, but without giving a date.

The roadmap, drawn up by the diplomatic quartet of the United States, Russia, United Nations and European Union, lays out steps to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and create a Palestinian state by 2005.

Reacting to Bush's statement, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called for concrete action and recalled that the publication of the plan had already been put back six times.

PHOTO CAPTION

Hebron Mufti Taysir Tamimi (C) objects to an Israeli occupation soldier after he was refused entry into Friday prayers at the Patriarch Tomb in the West Bank town. (AFP/Hossam Abu)