Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday the killing of a senior Hamas activist by Israel could set back the U.S.-backed peace plan for the region.
Powell said he was concerned about Saturday's killing of Abdullah Qawasme in the West Bank city of Hebron, but he stopped short of condemning the act.
Powell has said Israel is justified in going after "ticking bombs." On the other hand, he has said Israel should show restraint in situations that do not meet that criteria. "We can't allow ourselves to be stopped because of these incidents," Powell told a news conference.
He was joined by three other members of the group that developed the "road map": U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, whose country heads the European Union's rotating presidency.
The four discussed for more than an hour before they met with reporters.
Annan said the two sides should pursue political, humanitarian and security objectives at the same time.
He implored Israel not to engage in extrajudicial killings and said the Palestinian groups "must cease acts of terror against the Israeli people," AP reported.
Powell noted the progress by Israel and the Palestinians in putting in place the road map. He said Israel has started dismantling unauthorized outposts set up by Israeli settlers. He also praised the "new seriousness" of the Palestinian side in negotiating security issues with Israel.
"Both sides are committed to moving forward because, what is the alternative?" Powell asked. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
