Israel on Thursday said it would begin sealing the Gaza Strip
after the Hamas-controlled Palestinian parliament is sworn in this
weekend, stepping up the Israeli campaign to weaken the Islamic
militant group.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, will demand that
Hamas publicly accept his goal of reaching a peace deal with Israel
and recognize past agreements with the Jewish state, officials
said. Aides to Abbas declined to say what steps he would take if
Hamas rejects his demands.
Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction, has refused
to renounce violence or recognize Israel. But Hamas officials said
Thursday they expect to reach a compromise with Abbas, and the
group announced it would nominate Ismail Haniyeh as prime minister.
He is known as a pragmatist and has served as a liaison between
Hamas and the long-ruling Fatah Party.
Since Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections last month,
Israeli leaders have taken a tough line against the group. They
have rallied international opposition to Hamas, and said there will
be no dealings with the militants until they change their ways.
Senior Israeli officials approved a series of tough measures
Thursday aimed at crushing the Gaza Strip's teetering economy.
"The swearing-in of the Palestinian parliament on Saturday rings
a gong for us," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told a meeting of
high-level security and government officials, according to
participants. "A Hamas government will mean an authority of terror
and murder."
Israel will immediately bar laborers from Gaza from entering
Israel, stripping about 4,000 Palestinian families of their main
source of income, and halt the movement of Palestinian officials
between the West Bank and Gaza, security officials said.
Israel will consider tougher economic sanctions later, including
restricting Palestinian exports, the officials said. Barring access
to Israel would be devastating for Gaza. The Israeli market is the
largest for the impoverished coastal strip, and most of Gaza's
exports go through Israeli ports.
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The measures, which are expected to be approved Friday by acting
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, would take effect beginning Sunday.
The campaign is aimed at isolating the Gaza Strip from the West
Bank. The Palestinians claim both areas for a future state.
Israeli officials said this week the government is likely to
halt monthly transfers of about US$50 million in taxes and customs
duties it collects for the Palestinians. The transfers are crucial
for the Palestinian Authority to pay salaries to 140,000 government
workers. Israel has said humanitarian aid would continue.
Mushir al-Masri, an incoming Hamas lawmaker, condemned the
economic threats.
"This is collective punishment on our people," he said. "The
world should realize that more pressure on the Palestinian people
will create more tension and everyone is going to be a loser,
including Israel."
The Hamas-led legislature will convene for the first time
Saturday. Abbas will then ask Hamas to form a Cabinet that
recognizes interim peace agreements with Israel and his efforts to
reach a permanent settlement, said Nabil Abu Rdeneh, a top aide to
the Palestinian president.
"Any new government should be a continuation of the previous
government," Abu Rdeneh said. "They have to say this publicly and
in writing."
He declined to say what action Abbas will take if Hamas refuses
to accept his program. Under the law, Abbas could fire a prime
minister and ask someone else to form a government, but his choice
would require approval from parliament.
Once Abbas taps Hamas to form a new Cabinet, the militants have
five weeks to do so.
"We are really going to have a showdown and a major crisis,"
said Saeb Erekat, a Fatah lawmaker.
But Mushir al-Masri, an incoming Hamas lawmaker, said he was
confident the two sides will reach a compromise. "All of us are
shouldering joint responsibility to serve the interests of our
people," he said.
Hamas officials have signaled they would support a long-term
truce with Israel and accept existing agreements that serve
Palestinian interests.
While Israel has been pleased with the international response to
Hamas, there have been small cracks in the world's opposition. On
Thursday, the exiled political leader of Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, met
with Turkey's foreign minister in Ankara.
Turkey, which has close ties to Israel and the Palestinians, has
been urging Hamas to reject violence. But Israeli Foreign Minister
Tzipi Livni protested the Hamas visit in a telephone conversation
with her Turkish counterpart, the Israeli Foreign Ministry
said.
Israel also has criticized Russia for inviting Hamas leaders to
Moscow. Russian said Thursday the visit would take place next
month.
(Chinadaily.com via agencies February 17, 2006)
