Israeli Prime Minister's advisor Ra'anan Gissin responded on Thursday to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's offer for an unconditional ceasefire by saying that Israelis "fed up with Palestinian declaration."
Speaking in an interview with CNN, Gissin said it is too late for Arafat to declare a ceasefire, adding that the Palestinian leader "had had 18 months to do so."
According to Israeli Radio reports, the Israeli forces are concentrating armored forces in the vicinity of the West Bank towns of Ramallah and Nablus.
Security sources were quoted as saying that the operation would be "deep and extensive," and that it would be in response to "the Palestinian (National) Authority's crossing all of the red lines."
The sources went on to say that Israel had stopped the policy of restraint that it had accepted two weeks ago, when US envoy Anthony Zinni arrived in the region in an effort to reach a cease-fire agreement between the two sides.
According to the sources, "There is no longer such a thing as a unilateral cease-fire. We tried this for a long time."
The sources added that, "The Palestinian National Authority is doing nothing to thwart terror, and we are the ones that have to do this. Israeli patience has run out."
Arafat held a press conference Thursday evening, during which he announced his readiness for a cease-fire and said that actions must be taken in accordance with the Saudi peace initiative, which was agreed upon at the Arab League summit in Beirut, which ended earlier in the day .
Arafat also condemned the suicide bombing in Netanya on Wednesday evening which killed some 20 people and injured more than100.
PNA Accepts Unconditional Ceasefire With Israel: Arafat
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat announced Thursday that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) accepts to immediately implement an unconditional ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Speaking to reporters at a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Arafat said that the PNA accepts to implement George Tenet's plan as soon as possible as one package and without dividing it.
Arafat also said that implementing Tenet's understanding should be in linkage with the implementation of Mitchell report recommendations.
"I assert our readiness to implement an immediate ceasefire as we have informed (US envoy) General Anthony Zinni," he said.
"We have informed him we are prepared to immediately begin unconditionally implementing the Tenet plan as it was written, as well as the Mitchell report," Arafat added.
"But unfortunately, there are Israeli intentions to carry out a wide Israeli military invasion into our towns, villages and refugeecamps," said Arafat, who called upon Israel to take this opportunity and accept the implementation of Tenet's understanding.
Arafat said that he welcomes the Saudi Arabia peace initiative, adding that it is becoming an Arab peace initiative, and hoped that Israel would accept the initiative "in order to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Palestinian territories."
Soon after Arafat's declaration, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will convene the cabinet to discuss a possible military response to the suicide bombing attack in the northern Israeli coastal city of Netanya, which has left at least 21 Israelis dead and some 100 others wounded on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the cabinet will discuss propositions that were put forward during a security meeting chaired by Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer. The meeting will also discuss several backup plans that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have prepared in case of escalation in violence.
Security sources said the attack would have far-reaching consequences on the conflict with the PNA, while placing the blame on the PNA for the failure of the ceasefire-mediating efforts by Zinni.
The IDF tanks began blockading areas in the Gaza Strip and near the West Bank city of Ramallah, according Israel Radio, and large numbers of armored forces were being transferred to the West Bank city of Nablus Thursday evening.
The Palestinian security forces have been on the high alert and all the PNA official and military buildings in Ramallah and other Palestinian cities were evacuated in anticipation of a possible Israeli military strike.
( March 29, 2002)
