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Israeli Security Cabinet Meets to Assess Palestinian Ceasefire Call
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Sunday morning convened his security cabinet, the second of the kind after a suicide bomber blew himself up and killed 19 people at a Tel Aviv disco Friday night.
The meeting was to assess the security situation and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's order to the security forces to carry out an "unconditional, real and effective" ceasefire, officials in Israel's Prime Minister's Office said.
Israel announced a ceasefire about two weeks ago, but the Palestinians have repeatedly termed the call as "a public relations ploy."
Arafat issued the ceasefire order in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday. He also condemned the suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, Palestinian National Authority-run television and radio repeatedly announced ceasefire steps the Palestinians would implement to end the eight months of violence with Israel, during which more than 570 people, most of them Palestinians, have been killed.
It was reported that 13 Palestinian political groups, including the Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad (Holy War), are to meet later Sunday to discuss the ceasefire.
Israeli Arab lawmaker Ahmed Tibi told Israel's Army Radio on Sunday that he has personally witnessed Arafat giving order to security force commanders to impose a cease-fire.
But Israel is suspicious of the Palestinians' intention to lay down their arms after eight months of intifada, or uprising, which was triggered by a provocative visit by Sharon, then Israeli opposition leader, to an Islamic holy site in East Jerusalem last September.
Sharon's rare Shabbat security cabinet meeting on Saturday, usually the Jewish resting day, decided to wait 24 hours before carrying out military retaliatory strikes against Palestinian targets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
A "kitchen cabinet" consisting of Sharon, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer, has meanwhile been authorized to issue military orders without referring to the security cabinet.
Israel hopes that the international community will level more pressure on Arafat to stop the violence.
Israel Radio reported Sunday morning that Sharon spoke by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Saturday, urging Arafat to "end incitement against Israel, cease acts of terror and re-arrest the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants who were released from jails in the early weeks of the intifada."
On the ground, Israel claimed that there were still shooting incidents overnight, mostly near Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli police were on high alert Sunday morning along the border with the West Bank and Gaza Strip to prevent possible terror attacks in Israeli cities, Israel Radio reported.
The Israeli army has already tightened closure on several West Bank cities, including Nablus and Ramallah.
The meeting of Israel's security cabinet on Saturday also decided to take the following steps:
Firstly, private Palestinian vehicles will be prohibited from using West Bank roads that are under Israeli control; only public transport vehicles and vehicles carrying out humanitarian-related operations will be allowed on these roads.
Secondly, all imports to the Palestinian areas will be stopped, except for humanitarian aid.
Thirdly, the Gaza international airport is to be closed. Israel is also considering restricting Arafat's movement so as to prevent him from traveling abroad. Palestinian officials having VIP identity cards will be prevented from traveling between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
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