On Saturday, Yasser Arafat headed in Ramallah the weekly meeting of the Palestinian leadership in presence of the members of the Executive Committee of the PLO, members of the Ministerial Council and security commanders. In a statement published following the meeting the leadership condemned all "terrorist" actions and attacks targeting civilians, whether by Israelis or Palestinians.
The leadership statement, quoted by WAFA, said that despite Israeli air strikes and incursions into territories under PNA control and the declared state of emergency, it remains committed to a cease-fire agreement with Israel.
"The leadership is still holding the cease-fire agreement, and its declaration of the emergency status to put a firm and a final end to all the attempts of violating the cease-fire deal by the Palestinian side," conveyed the statement. The leadership said that security forces had been instructed to look for factories and workshops manufacturing metal pieces for producing mortar shells.
"These factories are used by the Israeli government as an excuse to escalate its security and military escalation, imposing siege on our towns and reoccupying parts of it," indicated the statement.
Additionally, the Palestinian leadership called on the United States and U.S. President George W. Bush together with Europe and the Arab states to immediately intercede to end the new Israeli military aggression. "Lifting these measures and ending the air strikes and incursions would enable our security forces do their duty and honor commitments," concluded the statement. (albawaba.com)
