Israel's leaders planned on Friday to approve tougher
restrictions on the Palestinians, in a bid to weaken Hamas as it
assumes control of parliament and starts to form a government,
Israeli officials said.
Under a plan expected to be adopted by Israeli interim Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinians would be barred from working in
Israel or travelling across Israel between Gaza and the West Bank
after a Hamas-led parliament is sworn in on Saturday.
Olmert was expected to order a halt to further tax revenue
transfers to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority to pressure
Hamas, winner of the January 25 Palestinian election, to renounce
violence, recognise the Jewish state and abide by interim peace
deals.
The new restrictions would start to take effect on Sunday after
a meeting of Olmert's cabinet, political sources said.
"What's important is that the Palestinians realize the
consequences of their vote," said a senior Israeli source, speaking
on condition of anonymity because Olmert has yet to announce his
decision.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the Islamic militant group's
supporters would weather what he called Israel's "policies of
oppression and collective punishment."
Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said Hamas had started
reaching out to Iran, seeking funding and guidance in how to run
the Palestinian Authority.
Ahead of the decision, a US State Department official cautioned
Israel to take into account "the consequences of any move,
especially with an eye to avoiding increasing any hardship for
Palestinians."
Gideon Meir, a deputy director-general of Israel's Foreign
Ministry, said Israel had no intention of making Palestinian
people's lives "miserable."
"Our intention is to make it clear that Israel will not be
dealing with a terrorist organization called Hamas," Meir said.
Hamas has masterminded nearly 60 suicide bombings against
Israelis since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000, but has
largely adhered to a truce declared in March last year.
Despite the expected clampdown on a Hamas-led Palestinian
Authority, Israel wants to maintain ties with President Mahmoud
Abbas, who will ask Hamas on Saturday to form a government that
will respect peace deals with Israel and put a stop to
violence.
"We need to hurt Hamas but not hurt the Palestinian people or
the Palestinian president," veteran Israeli statesman Shimon Peres
told Army Radio.
Russia's weapon supply
Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Friday
Moscow would supply military hardware to the Palestinian Authority
only if Israel agreed.
Plans to sell the Palestinian Authority 50 armored personnel
carriers (APCs) have been put on hold since last September.
But Russian Armed Forces chief-of-staff General Yuri Baluyevsky
said on Thursday that the plan could be revived if a visit by
leaders of the Islamist Hamas group to Moscow planned for early
March went well.
"Supplies of military hardware to Palestine can only be carried
out with Israel's consent and through its territory," Ivanov said
in televised comments.
Last year the Palestinian Authority sought to buy Russian
hardware, but no definite deal was reached. Diplomats said Russia
had since shelved the idea after Middle East peace brokers told
Moscow it could harm efforts to stabilize the area.
Israel supported the Russian decision.
"We welcome the Russian statement that they are re-evaluating
and they expect to continue any such future co-operation also in
co-ordination with us," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark
Regev said.
Ivanov's remarks were clearly meant to downplay Baluyevsky's
suggestions. "The consideration of the issue is at a preliminary
stage," the defense minister said.
Russian officials have said the invitation to Hamas leaders was
aimed at encouraging the group, branded a terrorist organization by
the West, to stick to peace commitments made by the previous
Palestinian administration.
They have said Moscow would convey to Hamas the demands of the
quartet of Middle East mediators, which also includes the United
States, European Union and the United Nations, to recognise Israel
and stop armed attacks against Israelis.
(China Daily February 18, 2006)
