Palestinians arrest Hamas members

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Posted 7:59AM on Thursday, May 9, 2002

GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP - Israel's Cabinet on Thursday approved reprisals for Palestinian suicide bombings, expected to include a military strike in the Gaza Strip, while Palestinians arrested 16 Hamas members in a sign that Yasser Arafat was taking action against terror groups. In Bethlehem, talks on resolving a five-week standoff at the Church of the Nativity broke down Thursday, after a partial deal appeared imminent. The deal foundered over a Palestinian demand to allow a European monitor into the shrine to safeguard 13 suspected militants who were to remain there until they are deported. So far, negotiators have failed to find a country to accept them. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened his security Cabinet at an air force base early Thursday, immediately after his return from the United States, to approve a response to a Hamas suicide bombing Tuesday in a pool hall in a Tel Aviv suburb. Fifteen Israelis were killed in the attack, the deadliest since Israel launched its West Bank military offensive, ``Defensive Shield,'' on March 29. The Cabinet did not say what type of response it authorized. However, an Israeli military operation in Gaza was widely expected. Israeli media said the military has reinforced troops around the crowded strip, home to more than 1 million Palestinians, and was preparing to call up reserve troops. The last reserve call-up came ahead of operation ``Defensive Shield.'' ``Target Gaza,'' read a banner headline in the Maariv daily. Military commentators said they expected the Gaza operation to be more limited in nature than the West Bank offensive, during which troops occupied six of the eight main Palestinian towns for periods of up to several weeks. Fighting in Gaza would be much more complicated and could expose troops to greater risks. ``We have to operate in territory which is difficult because the civilian population is very crowded,'' Israeli Transport Minister Ephraim Sneh told Israel Radio, but declined to confirm that an Israeli strike against the strip was imminent. In Gaza City, Hamas officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that 16 members were arrested Thursday by Palestinian police, but would not reveal the identities of those taken into custody. ``I do have reports that there is some kind of campaign that has targeted some members of the movement,'' said Hamas spokesman Ismail Abu Shanab. He said he could not confirm the exact number of those arrested. The arrests appeared to indicate that Arafat is responding to growing U.S. pressure to take action against Palestinian militants. A number of important Hamas figures were killed or captured during the Israeli offensive in the West Bank. However, all of the group's senior leaders are in Gaza, and Israel has so far refrained from targeting them. In the past, Palestinian authorities have temporarily detained Hamas leaders, but then released them soon after. In some cases, it appeared the Palestinians took the moves largely to protect the Hamas leaders from possible Israeli attack. Israel has accused the Palestinian Authority of taking such action to give the appearance of a crackdown on militants, but says their subsequent release shows the arrests are not serious. Meeting another U.S. demand, Arafat appeared on Palestinian television Wednesday and spoke out against attacks on Israeli civilians. ``I gave my orders and directions to all the Palestinian security forces to confront and prevent all terror attacks against Israeli civilians from any Palestinian side or parties,'' he said. President Bush called Arafat's statement an ``incredibly positive sign'' and urged Israel to consider the consequences on peace prospects of ``whatever response'' it chooses. However, Israel was not swayed. ``We are treating this condemnation (of terror) with more skepticism than the president of the United States,'' said Sneh, the transport minister. ``We will judge Arafat by his actions, not his declarations.'' The founder of Hamas, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, said Wednesday his group would continue carrying out bombings against Israelis, despite Arafat's new call for an end to terror attacks. Palestinian militants have unleashed about 60 suicide bombings during the 19 months of Mideast fighting, and Hamas has carried out more attacks than any other group, and has been responsible for all of the deadliest blasts. Despite growing apprehension about an Israeli offensive, the streets of Gaza City appeared normal on Thursday morning, filled with honking taxis and donkey-drawn carts. Shops and markets were open and busy. However, increased police patrols were visible in some parts of the city. In Bethlehem, a resolution to the church standoff appeared distant again Thursday, just hours after a partial deal had already been reached. Under the initial agreement, several dozen Palestinians were to have emerged from the shrine Thursday, including 26 wanted men who were to be driven to Gaza under U.S. escort. Thirteen senior militants slated for deportation were to remain behind until a host country could be found. Each side accused the other of derailing the deal at the last minute. Israeli negotiators said they rejected an unexpected Palestinian demand that a European monitor enter the church to stay with the 13 until they were deported. Palestinian negotiators claimed that Israel had already agreed to the European monitor, and at the last minute changed its position. In a sign of new delays, three buses that had been parked for most of the morning near Manger Square, ready to transport the Palestinians emerging from the church, drove away empty. Israel moved a battle tank into Manger Square and reinstalled a large crane that had been used during the standoff to get cameras close to the church. Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Thursday that Spain might be willing to take in three or four of the 13 men slated for deportation. Negotiations initially had designated Italy as the host country for the entire group, but the Italian government balked, saying it had not been consulted. The siege began April 2 when more than 200 Palestinians fled into the church, which marks the birthplace of Jesus, ahead of invading Israeli forces. In the weeks that followed, several groups of civilians were allowed to leave.