Israel Cages Palestinian Dy PM with Several MPs
'Pakistan Times' Foreign Desk

GAZA: Amid the Gaza scenario fast escalating, Israeli forces rounded up dozens of Palestinian Cabinet ministers and lawmakers including Deputy Prime Minister Nasser al-Shaher of the Hamas-led government in an overnight raid, Palestinian security officials said Thursday.

Hamas accused Israel Thursday of launching an "open war" to destroy the Palestinian government after arresting a number of its ministers and lawmakers in the West Bank.

Witnesses said tanks moved into northern Gaza, widening Israel's largest military operation in the year since Israel pulled out of the seaside territory.

Palestinian officials said altogether, seven Cabinet ministers and 20 lawmakers were arrested.

Palestinian security officials said Israeli forces detained three Cabinet ministers, as well as four lawmakers in Ramallah.. Several others were arrested in the town of Jenin, they said.

Israeli media reported a roundup of Hamas lawmakers in Jerusalem and other locations. Also, the Hamas mayor of the West Bank town of Qalqiliya and his deputy were detained, security officials said.

Before daybreak on Thursday, witnesses said Israeli tanks and bulldozers moved into northern Gaza, stopping about 200 meters (yards) inside Palestinian territory across from the Jebaliya refugee camp.

No clashes were reported. However, the military denied its forces had moved into northern Gaza.

A body recovered overnight by Israeli troops in the West Bank belonged to an 18-year-old Jewish settler kidnapped by Palestinian militants, Israeli military sources said.

Troops on Red Alert

Israeli forces were put on red alert at Lebanon border after taking same measures at Syria border fearing possible retaliation from Lebanese militia Hezbollah as Israel had threatened to kill Hamas militants and flew warplanes over Syria's presidential palace.

The army said it was bracing for any strikes by the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.

"This measure has been taken due to concerns that the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah or other organizations will try to trigger an escalation of hostilities by launching border attacks," said the Israel’s military spokeswoman.

A meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas has also been postponed.

The Israeli army has detained 20 lawmakers including more than 10 ministers of the Hamas-led Palestinian government in an overnight raid.

Meanwhile, the Arab league has called an emergency meeting today due to escalating Middle East crisis.

Missiles hit Gaza

An earlier report said that Israeli aircraft fired missiles at the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday, with the military saying it aimed at open areas, and Palestinian medical officials saying a car was hit.

No injuries were reported. The strike took place near the town of Khan Younis.

'Total Collapse'

And in Jerusalem, the chief Palestinian negotiator Thursday urged the international community to help win the release of Hamas ministers and MPs arrested by Israel, warning of "total collapse" in the situation.

"We call upon the internatonal community to help us to obtain the immediate release of the MPs and ministers arrested by Israel early today," Saeb Erakat told media by telephone.

"I made contacts with the EU and United States and we warned against considering these ministers and MPs as hostages who are being used to obtain the release of the soldier because such a thing would lead to a total collapse," he added.

A teenage Israeli soldier was kidnapped on Sunday by Palestinian militants, including militants loyal to governing Islamist movement Hamas who infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip.

Israeli troops overnight arrested 64 members of governing Palestinian party Hamas, including eight ministers, 20 lawmakers, regional officials and city mayors in a massive operation in the occupied West Bank.

Israel has stepped up a military offensive in the Gaza Strip, seeking to tighten pressure against Palestinians to return the kidnapped soldier.

US on Scenario

A report from Washington says that Secretary of State Ms Condoleezza Rice spoke to Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni , as Washington said it was using "moral authority" to help defuse a showdown in Gaza over a kidnapped Israeli soldier.

The United States was working hard behind the scenes to bring about the "release of the captured soldier immediately and put an end to this crisis which has been provoked by terrorist hostage-taking," deputy State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.

He declined to say whether the United States was aware in advance of Israel's military strategy in Gaza, or had advised the Israeli government not to take certain actions.

"We want to resolve that hostage-taking. That's what we all want to do and we want to protect innocent life in doing that," he said.

"I think the United States obviously has influence and moral authority on this and we are using that to try to do what we can to help bring this to a peaceful resolution."

Annan for Restraint

Reacting to the situation, the Secretary-General Annan spoke by telephone Wednesday with Israel's prime minister and the presidents of Syria and the Palestinian Authority to express concern about escalating Middle East tensions.

He said he Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had assured him that Israel would use maximum restraint as it attempts to free an Israeli soldier taken hostage by armed Palestinians.

"The Israeli government has a responsibility to protect its citizens, but it has to do so with restraint and, of course, it is understandable that they would want to go after those who [had] kidnapped the soldier," said Kofi Annan.

"But it has to be done in such a way that civilian populations are not made to suffer. I spoke to the prime minister, who indicated to me that he is exercising maximum restraint, but I think it is important that the two leaders work together to calm the situation."

Mr. Annan said he had urged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to halt the recent spate of Katyusha rocket attacks on Israel.

"In my discussions with Abbas, he's working with all the Palestinian factions to bring the violence under control and ensure that these Katyusha attacks do not continue," he said.

"And I think it is important that we work very actively on this to get it done. But I hope they would also allow time for, what you described as diplomatic initiative, or to find a solution to the capture of the soldier."

When he heard about the Israeli warplanes flying low over Syria's presidential palace, Mr. Annan said "we need to be careful, not only not to escalate, but not to expand the area of conflict".

Syria described the flyover as "an aggressive act", and said its air defenses had fired on the planes.

Recap

To recap details of Israeli onslaught on Gaza and Pakistan's call to the global community for the solution of the Issue through peaceful means, as was reported by Pakistan's first ISSN-certified E-newspaper, 'Pakistan Times' in its edition of Thursday, June-29, 2006, Click Here:

http://www.pakistantimes.net/2006/06/29/top.htm●