Mideast cease-fire shows limits

In the most serious incident since Palestinians declared a cease-fire six weeks ago, Israeli troops surged into Askar refugee camp near Nablus Friday to make arrests. Four Palestinians, two of them Hamas militants, died, as did an Israeli soldier.

The ensuing mass funerals in Nablus echoed with cries for revenge, and Palestinian militants fired a rocket at a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip. To many observers, it seemed like a return to the bad old days - three years of bloodletting.

Violence also returned to Israel's northern border Sunday as anti aircraft shells fired by Iranian-inspired Hizbullah fighters in Lebanon killed an Israeli teenager in the northern town of Shlomi, the first such fatality since Israeli forces withdrew from Lebanon three years ago. In response, Israeli aircraft attacked suspected Hizbullah positions in southern Lebanon.

The fresh conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants crystallizes a bitter dispute that has been simmering despite the marked reduction in violence this summer.

Palestinians say Israel has taken no real steps to improve the lives of residents of the occupied territories, thereby crippling the fledgling government of moderate Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas. Israel says the Palestinians have failed to address the road map's requirement that they disarm and dismantle Hamas and other militias.

"If they want Israel to tolerate the rebuilding of a terrorist threat and terrorist actions against it they are making a mistake," says Dore Gold, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. "They are dealing with a country that will defend itself and not be a doormat."

Mr. Sharon's approach means, analysts say, that despite the Palestinian-declared cease-fire, Israel will continue to carry out operations such as the raid in Askar refugee camp.

"The army will always have the excuse that there is an immediate threat of a bombing and it has to act," says Reuven Pedhazur, a political scientist at Tel Aviv University. "Maybe this is the case, and maybe it is not."

Analysts say the Askar incident does not appear to spell immediate danger for the cease-fire. But its long-term implications could be more ominous for the truce and the international peace blueprint known as the road map.

Army officers say the foray into Askar was necessitated because the two slain Hamas fighters were readying for a bombing within Israel "in the coming days," something that would have marked a departure from Hamas's abstinence from bombing attacks throughout the cease-fire. The other Palestinians died during protests after the shoot-out - one from tear-gas inhalation, the other from rubber-coated metal bullet - according to Palestinian sources.

Israeli officers say an enormous explosion ensued after troops fired an antitank missile at the site, proving it was a bomb factory.

Page: 1 | 2