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Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: hdl who wrote (20038)	6/22/2003 6:31:02 AM
From: lorne	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 23908

PM: Killing of Hamas militant 'successful' operation By Amos Harel and Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies 22/06/2003 haaretzdaily.com Prime Minister Ariel Sharon hailed Saturday's killing of a top Hamas terrorist as "a successful and important" operation, while a senior Hamas figure - himself the target of an Israeli assassination attempt on June 10 - warned that the killing would meet with reprisals. Abdullah Qawasme, one of the most senior Palestinian militants in the territories, believed to be responsible for the deaths of more than 40 Israelis, was killed Saturday night in the West Bank city of Hebron during an attempt by special forces to arrest him. He had been one of the most-wanted Palestinian terrorists for several months. The search for his deputy is ongoing. "This was a successful and important operation," Sharon told his minister at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. Its purpose was to ensure the security of Israeli citizens.” Sharon added that Israel will continue with this type of operation, as long as the Palestinians do not assume responsibility for security in the parts of the West Bank and Gaza. “We have always maintained that if they assume responsibility and take serious measures [against terror organizations].” said the prime minister, “they will be in charge. But if they don’t, we will act to safeguard Israeli security.” Cabinet minister Tzipi Livni said those activities would include striking against militants planning attacks. "Unless the Palestinian Authority takes real responsibility, Israel will have to keep dealing with ticking bombs," she said. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a Hamas leader wounded in an Israeli assassination attempt in Gaza City on , told al-Jazeera television : "If Palestinian blood is shed, then Israeli blood will be shed." Rantisi warned that the killing "would not go unpunished," Israel Radio reported. Hamas' military wing, said in a statement faxed to Reuters: "The thundering retaliation for the cowardly assassination operation is coming by God's will. The Zionists will curse themselves a thousand times for committing their crime against leader Abdullah Qawasme". Palestinian Authority minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said that the killing Qawasme, the head of Hamas' military wing in Hebron "is another proof that the Israelis are... continuing the assassinations." "These operations are meant to obstruct any success of the dialogue to reach a truce [with militants]," Rabbo added. Palestinian sources said that three civilian cars arrived in one of Hebron's central streets shortly after 9 P.M. According to the sources, five policemen jumped out of each car and immediately opened fire at Kawasme, who was standing at the entrance to a mosque. Qawasme is believed to have been behind the most recent terror attacks in Haifa on March 5, the Jerusalem suicide bus bombings on Jaffa Street on June 11, and at French Hill on May 18, in which over 40 people were killed. Israeli troops cordoned off the area where the shooting took place, witnesses said, and on Sunday morning, imposed a curfew on all parts of the city. Another Palestinian man died Saturday of injuries sustained in an IDF missile strike that killed a Hamas activist last week. Palestinians accused Israel of trying to undermine cease-fire efforts. "Israel aims to sabotage the possibility of reaching a common Palestinian understanding among the Palestinian factions," said Ziad Abu Amr, the Palestinian minister in charge of negotiating a truce with Hamas. Sharon told U.S. Secretary State Colin Powell in their meeting Friday that Israel would continue to act against "ticking bombs" in the Palestinian territories, despite granting Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas a period of grace in which to negotiate a truce with militant groups.