Several leaders of Palestinian faction asserted on Wednesday to Al Bawaba that their intentions are now directed at sparing civilians from both sides from any military operations and attacks, while focusing more on military and settler targets in the land occupied by Israel since 1967 (i.e. West Bank & Gaza Strip).
Kayed Ghoul, prominent leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine [PFLP], voiced to Al Bawaba that “there is growing support amongst all Palestinian factions to put an end to operations that would endanger civilians on both sides. This was nearly agreed upon in the Cairo talks on the condition that Israel would avoid attacking Palestinian civilians in return.”
Ghoul added that his front [PFLP] usually conducts its operation in the 1967 occupied territories, except for one of its operations that took place in Israel - an operation he characterized as “a reaction against Israel's persistent targeting Palestinian civilians”. Ghoul was referring to the attack that took place in a bus station in Petah Tekvah near Tel Aviv during December, 2003.
For its part, Fatah has also confirmed that its armed activities have mainly taken place in the 1967 occupied territories, and that it had carried out only a limited amount of attacks inside Israel.
Prominent Fatah leader - Diab Alloh - revealed to Al Bawaba that “our movement has always adopted a clear and consistent stance - confining our attacks against military targets inside the 1967 occupied territories. However, this may soon change due to complications in the current situation which is why it may be hard to limit our [suicide] operations to the West Bank and Gaza…some operations occur as purely individual initiatives by many cells which are heavily spread throughout.”
For its part, Hamas has denied that such an agreement between the factions exists and declared that “all options are still open.”
Sa'eed Syam, prominent leader in Hamas, told Al Bawaba that “all options are open and we do not differentiate between occupied territories in 1948 or 1967…Israeli [soldiers] are coming from Tel Aviv to kill our people in Rafah and Jenin, so therefore they should not enjoy peace in their homes. As to when and where to attack, it is our military wing that decides according to the political variables at the time.”
Syam also added that his movement's operations were not affected by the so-called security fence being erected by Israel on confiscated Palestinian land, and neither have Israel's tough security measures hindered their attacks.
“We succeed because of good planning…we have proved many times that Israel's procedures could not prevent our fighters from reaching their targets.”
Last month, Hamas denied to Al Bawaba all rumours of a secret truce with Israel, whereby Israel would stop its assassinations of the movement's leaders in return for an end to Hamas' suicide attacks in Israel.
“There had never been any secret agreements with Israel. We have been always sincere and had nothing to hide,” stated prominent Hamas leader Mohammed Ghazal last month.
© 2004 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
