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Israel Rejects International Criticism of Attack on Hamas
Israel has rejected international criticism of its attack on the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) office in the West Bank City of Nablus, the Internet edition of Ha'aretz, a leading Israeli newspaper, reported Wednesday.
The attack, launched by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, has killed eight Palestinians, including two senior Hamas leaders and two children, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the 10-month-long violence between the Palestinians and Israel.
A senior Israeli diplomatic source said Israel will continue its policy of liquidations because Israel needs to protects its citizens in every possible way, according to the report.
The United States, Israel's long-term ally, issued a strong statement Tuesday, describing the attack as "provocative," " excessive," and "an obstacle to efforts to restore calm," in the region.
State Department spokesman Charles F. Hunter termed the attack " a dangerous escalation of violence," saying the U.S. opposes Israel's policy of assassinations, which, in this case, has led to the killing of innocent civilians.
Ari Fleischer, spokesman for U.S. President George W. Bush, called the attack a violation of the U.S.-brokered Israeli- Palestinian cease-fire, which took effect on June 13, but has failed to hold.
In a strongly-worded statement, British Foreign Office Minister Ben Bradshaw said "Britain cannot accept the targeted assassination by Israel of Palestinian militants."
He said "We and our European Union colleagues have repeatedly made clear that such assassinations are wrong and illegal under international law...These assassinations create an environment in which atrocities are seen as justified and lead to further violence."
French Foreign Ministry on Tuesday noted that the attack has constituted a deadlock.
"There is no other option than to resume a political process and to immediately implement the recommendations of the Mitchell Report," the ministry said.
The mitchell report, released in May by an international fact- finding panel led by former U.S. senator George Mitchell, calls on Israel and the Palestinians to end violence, take confidence- building measures and finally resume their peace talks.
More than 670 people, most of them Palestinians, have been killed since the bloody clashes erupted last September between the Palestinians and Israel.
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