Israel to consider allowing Palestinian fugitives to receive shelter in Jericho

Jerusalem Post ^ | Jul. 31, 2003 | MARGOT DUDKEVITCH

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Israel will consider a Palestinian demand that fugitives in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Jenin be allowed to move to Jericho in exchange for an Israeli guarantee that they will not be arrested if they adhere to the cease-fire, Israeli security officials said Thursday, following the Wednesday night meeting between Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and PA Minister of Security Muhammad Dahlan at Neveh Ilan. "The Palestinians have raised the demand in various meetings at different levels in the past, it was not rejected outright on Wednesday, it is being studied," an official said.

According to media reports, two Palestinian fugitives who have already moved to Jericho are Islamic Jihad member Mahmoud Kamil, who is suspected of perpetrating shooting attacks against Israelis, and Fatah member Hatem Abu Halima, who is suspected of working with senior Palestinian officials involved in smuggling weapons and terrorist activities. The reports claimed that PA officials guaranteed that fugitives who move to Jericho would not be arrested by PA security forces if they maintain the cease-fire.

Meanwhile, the transfer of additional West Bank cities to Palestinian security control has been placed on hold after Mofaz and Dahlan failed to reach an agreement after the Palestinians rejected Israel's offer of Kalkilya and Jericho, and demanded instead Ramallah.

Israeli security officials said that while the sides failed to agree, the meeting was conducted in a positive atmosphere and another meeting would be scheduled in the near future. Security officials said Israel's refusal to hand over Ramallah is because of the security situation in the city and the surrounding area, and the fact that it is viewed as a symbol to the Palestinian people because of PA Yasser Arafat's presence there. The Palestinians described Israel's offer as "not serious."

On Thursday, Dahlan told reporters "we wanted the withdrawal to be a genuine one that would allow the Palestinian cities to connect with each other and would give people free ways to move on the roads between those cities and villages without having to go through the Israeli army roadblocks."

Israeli officials warned that Bethlehem and towns in the Gaza Strip that were handed over a month ago to the Palestinians were turning into terrorist havens because of the failure of the Palestinians to crack down on the terrorist infrastructure, confiscate weapons, and arrest terror leaders.

Mofaz also raised concerns over the fact that all the terrorist organizations are using the cease-fire period to rearm, strengthen their ranks, and prepare for a renewal of violence, and demanded that the Palestinians take immediate action against them. Mofaz also expressed concern over the Kassam rocket tests being launched by Hamas almost daily, and the attempts to improve its range in order to threaten areas in Israel.

Dahlan told reporters prior to the meeting that he did not have any plans to arrest anyone as long as the cease-fire remains intact.

Despite failing to agree on the next West Bank city, the upcoming release of 540 Palestinian security prisoners, including 140 affiliated with the Islamic Jihad and Hamas is scheduled to go ahead as planned officials said, noting that the Palestinians realize that their demands to release all the Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israeli jails will not happen. "Defense Minister Mofaz updated Dahlan on the criteria drawn up by Israel to facilitate the prisoner release, and that the upcoming release has taken full advantage of this criteria. The majority of those remaining in prison have blood on their hands and are not to be part of any release anyway," an official said.

The prisoner release is expected to occur sometime next week after the ministerial committee has completed reviewing those who are to be set free, officials said.

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On Thursday, Dahlan told reporters "we wanted the withdrawal to be a genuine one that would allow the Palestinian cities to connect with each other and would give people free ways to move on the roads between those cities and villages without having to go through the Israeli army roadblocks."

Well of course. That way the freed terrorists will be able to move to different PA cities and plan terrorist attacks to happen at the same time.