DATE=9/11/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-238465
TITLE=ISRAEL / HAMAS (L UPDATE)
BYLINE=MARK LAVIE
DATELINE=TEL AVIV
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PALESTINIAN MILITANTS ARE THREATENING REVENGE AGAINST
ISRAEL AFTER ISRAELI FORCES KILLED TWO LEADERS OF THE EXTREMIST
HAMAS RESISTANCE MOVEMENT IN THE WEST BANK EARLY FRIDAY. MARK
LAVIE REPORTS FROM TEL AVIV.
TEXT: "THE FUTURE WILL WITNESS MORE BLOODSHED," WARNED SHEIKH
AHMED YASSIN, THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST
HAMAS MOVEMENT, REACTING TO THE DEATHS OF TWO LEADERS OF THE
HAMAS MILITARY WING.
SHEIKH YASSIN CALLED THE DEATHS "AN ASSASSINATION," REFLECTING
WIDESPREAD SKEPTICISM ABOUT THE ISRAELI ARMY VERSION OF EVENTS.
ISRAEL SAID THAT SOLDIERS, RESPONDING TO REPORTS OF AN EXPLOSION,
SURROUNDED AN ISOLATED HOUSE IN THE WEST BANK AND KILLED TWO
PALESTINIANS IN AN EXCHANGE OF FIRE.
EVEN AN ISRAELI OFFICIAL HINTED THAT IT WAS A PLANNED OPERATION
AIMED AT LIQUIDATING TWO BROTHERS, IMAD AND ADEL AWADALLAH,
LEADERS OF THE HAMAS MILITARY WING CALLED IZ-ADDIN-AL-KASSAM.
DAVID BAR ILLAN, A TOP AIDE TO ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN
NETANYAHU, DECLARED, "THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF TERRORISTS KNOWN
FOR KILLING ISRAELIS BEING PURSUED WHEREVER THEY ARE.''
ISRAEL CHARGES ADEL AWADALLAH PLANNED TWO SUICIDE BOMB ATTACKS IN
DOWNTOWN JERUSALEM ONE YEAR AGO, AND SEVERAL OTHER HAMAS
OPERATIONS AGAINST ISRAELIS. HIS BROTHER IMAD ESCAPED FROM A
PALESTINIAN PRISON LAST MONTH. HE WAS SUSPECTED BY THE
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY OF KILLING A HAMAS MASTER BOMB- MAKER IN A
POWER STRUGGLE.
HAMAS CHARGED THAT ISRAEL WAS BEHIND THAT KILLING. NOW THE
ISLAMIC MILITANTS ARE THREATENING REVENGE AGAINST ISRAEL FOR THE
DEATHS OF THE AWADALLAH BROTHERS, AS WELL. A HAMAS POLITICAL
LEADER THREATENED THAT ISRAEL WILL PAY A "DEAR PRICE".
HAMAS HAS CARRIED OUT SUCH THREATS IN THE PAST. WHEN A LEADER OF
IZ-ADDIN-AL-KASSAM WAS KILLED IN JANUARY, 1996, HAMAS RESPONDED
WITH A SERIES OF DEADLY SUICIDE BOMBING ATTACKS IN ISRAEL.
ISRAELI SECURITY FORCES WENT ON ALERT, AND ISRAEL DECLARED A
CLOSURE, SEALING OFF THE WEST BANK AND GAZA AND FORBIDDING
PALESTINIANS TO CROSS INTO ISRAEL, AS MEASURES TO PREVENT HAMAS
MILITANTS FROM ATTACKING IN RETALIATION.
/// OPT /// THE ISRAELIS DID NOT SAY HOW LONG THE CLOSURE
WOULD BE IN EFFECT, BUT THE ISRAELI POLICE COMMANDER NOTED THAT
HIS FORCES ALWAYS GO ON HIGHER ALERT AND TAKE SECURITY MEASURES
THIS TIME OF YEAR, AS THE JEWISH NEW YEAR HOLIDAY APPROACHES.
JEWS MARK THEIR NEW YEAR ON SEPTEMBER 21ST.
/// OPT /// CLOSURES WORK ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS ON HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS, AS BREADWINNERS ARE NOT ABLE TO GET
TO THEIR JOBS IN ISRAEL. MORE THAN HALF OF THE PALESTINIANS FROM
GAZA WHO HAVE JOBS WORK IN ISRAEL. LENGTHY CLOSURES DEPRESS THE
ALREADY POVERTY-LEVEL ECONOMY OF GAZA.
/// OPT /// THERE ARE HARDSHIPS IN THE WEST BANK AS WELL.
BUT THE WEST BANK ECONOMY IS MORE DEVELOPED, MORE PALESTINIANS
WORK IN LOCAL AGRICULTURE THERE THAN IN GAZA, AND MORE
PALESTINIANS FROM THE WEST BANK CAN SNEAK ACROSS THE LONG, MOSTLY
UNGUARDED IMAGINARY LINE INTO ISRAEL TO WORK ILLEGALLY. GAZA IS
SEALED OFF FROM ISRAEL WITH BARBED-WIRE FENCES AND CHECKPOINTS.
/// END OPT ///
THIS COMES AS U-S MIDDLE EAST ENVOY DENNIS ROSS CONTINUES HIS
MEETINGS WITH ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN LEADERS, PROBING FOR WAYS
TO MOVE THE TWO SIDES CLOSER TO AN AGREEMENT ABOUT ANOTHER
HANDOVER OF WEST BANK TERRITORY TO PALESTINIAN CIVILIAN CONTROL.
AMBASSADOR ROSS ARRIVED WEDNESDAY AFTER A FOUR-MONTH BREAK IN HIS
MEDIATION EFFORTS. THE TWO SIDES HAVE BEEN STUCK OVER
IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INTERIM AGREEMENT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO LEAD
TO NEGOTIATIONS OVER A PERMANENT PEACE TREATY.
THE PALESTINIANS SUSPECT THAT IF THERE IS A TERROR ATTACK BY
HAMAS IN RETALIATION FOR THE DEATHS OF THE AWADALLAH BROTHERS,
ISRAEL WILL STOP THE TALKS AND THE HANDOVER OF TERRITORY. AN
OFFICIAL OF YASSER ARAFAT'S PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY DENOUNCED THE
KILLING, CALLING IT "STATE TERRORISM," AND CHARGED THAT ISRAELI
PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU WOULD WELCOME A HAMAS ATTACK AS
AN EXCUSE TO HALT THE PEACE PROCESS. (SIGNED)
NEB/ML/JWH
11-Sep-98 9:38 AM EDT (1338 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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