Comments on Temporary Cease-fire Vary

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, July 03, 2003

Comments on Temporary Cease-fire Vary

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Under external pressure and urge, Palestine finally reached within itself an agreement on conditional temporary cease-fire the other day. The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Islamic Holy War Organization (Jihad) issued a joint statement on June 29, announcing that they would conditionally stop attacking Israeli targets within three months; meanwhile, the Fateh Al, the mainstream faction of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), decided on a six-month temporary truce. In the midnight of that day, Israel army withdrew from the north of the Gaza area, and Palestine security forces immediately entered to garrison this area. On June 30, Israeli army also agreed to pull out of Bethlehem, the city on the West Bank of the Jordan River. This was the first practical step taken by both sides of Palestine and Israel to implement the "Road Map" peace plan as well as a gratifying result gained in easing the tension caused by Palestine-Israel conflicts.

Since the two summits on Middle East peace held in the first half of June, the conflicts between Palestine and Israel have flared up one after another, as a result, the "Road Map" plan was faced with danger. The United States and other parties concerned urged the Palestinian autonomous government to exterminate Hamas and other radical forces, and Israel took advantage of the opportunity to intensify its military attacks on the Palestinian radical forces. It was against such a background that the Palestinian autonomous government discussed matters with Hamas and other radical forces regarding cease-fire with Israel. There are two main focal points of difference regarding cease-fire: One is the deadline and the other is condition. On the premise of Israel's continued occupation of Palestine-controlled areas, Hamas and Jihad, the major representatives of Palestinian radical forces, agreed to a three-month temporary cease-fire and raised three relevant main conditions: (1) Israel should stop the military actions directed against the Palestinians; (2) Israel should relieve Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat of house arrest; and (3) Israel should set free the imprisoned Palestinians. The joint statement of Hamas and Jihad stressed that Israel would be responsible for the consequences resulted from its failure to meet these conditions.

Within Palestine, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Democratic Front and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Fateh rejected the cease-fire. At present, there is the urgent need to try to quiet down conflicts in order to promote Palestine-Israel peace, cease-fire, even a temporary one, is precious.

The parties concerned each stick to their arguments in regard to Palestine's agreement to the temporary cease-fire. The Palestinian autonomous government regards this as an important measure to iron out differences and seek for peace and is of important significance to alleviating the tense situation and resuming the negotiation between Palestine and Israel. Other Arab countries and the international community made positive appraisals of the temporary cease-fire agreement reached among different Palestinian factions, thinking that it has a great bearing on implementing the "Road Map" peace plan. The United States also expressed its cautious welcome, saying it was "the embodiment of the spirit of Aqaba Summit and the first step toward peace ". Israel's reaction, however, was rather cold, it still stuck to its obstinate stand that the Palestinian autonomous government should ban Hamas and other Palestinian radical forces.

Regarding this, Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-ami recently pointed out that the temporary cease-fire of Palestinian radical forces was designed to win more time for their attacks against Israel and regarded it as a still operating "time bomb". It can be seen from the talks recently held between Rice, US national security affairs assistant, and Palestinian and Israeli leaders that the United States emphasized "the cooperation among various parties to promote peace" in order to push through the "Road Map" plan. It can be expected that after Palestine's temporary cease-fire agreement takes effect, how the United States would promptly grasp and promote this trend of relaxation would be of utmost importance.

Since new conflicts broke out between Palestine and Israel in September 2000, more than 2,400 Palestinians and over 800 Israelis have died. There is nothing more important and urgent than to seize the peace opportunity earned at the heavy cost of lives and blood. The people who have experienced all sorts of hardships are earnestly expecting their leaders' sincerity and courage to put an end to the conflicts and chaos caused by long-drawn-out war at an early date.

By PD Online Staff Liu Wei

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