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Israeli Army Chief: More Violence If Paris Summit Fails
If the summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Paris failed, more violence will erupted in Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip, a top Israeli army officer said Wednesday.
This is based on the army's assessment, Israel Defense Forces Chief of General Staff Shaul Mofaz told Israel Radio in the afternoon.
The summit was scheduled to begin Wednesday afternoon, with the participation of U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, which is aimed at quelling a week of bloody violence between the two sides and resuscitate a gravely wounded peace process.
The riots, the worst since 1996, killed 56, most of them Palestinians, and wounded more than 1,300 in the past six days.
Mofaz's colleague Giora Eiland, head of Israel Defense Forces' Operations Directorate, already asserted Tuesday that there will be no end of clashes between Israel and the Palestinians until the scheduled summit between the leaders.
But he hoped the outcome of the summit will bring calm back to the West Bank and Gaza Strip and end the bloody riots finally.
Earlier Wednesday, sporadic incidents were reported at several flashpoints, such as the Netzarim junction in the Gaza Strip, but no major injuries were found.
Israeli policemen reported fired rubber bullets at stone-throwing Palestinians in Arab villages on the outskirts of Jerusalem Wednesday morning and injured one.
As a warning signal, Israel Radio reported Wednesday that the Palestinian militant Islamic movement Hamas had designated Friday as a "Day of Rage", which is to be marked by protest marches following mid-day prayers.
Such a day of rage will surely escalate the already serious situation, Israeli security sources said.
Barak and Arafat is also scheduled to meet at Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh on Thursday, this time hosted by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
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