Abbas moves to Gaza for pullout
2005-07-25 18:24
Ramallah - Mahmud Abbas was on Monday relocating to the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian leader said he would be based for the duration of Israel's historic pullout from the occupied territory this summer.
After a recent wave of deadly violence, Abbas was under immense international pressure to ensure that the pullout - to begin in three weeks - took place free of militant attacks from the likes of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
He said: "I'm going now to Gaza to stay for the entire disengagement period to follow all the details about the disengagement from Gaza.
"I will have contact with all the Palestinian parties."
Popular resistance committee
Fears that the pullout - Israel's first pullout from Palestinian territory - could be accompanied by militant attacks were compounded over the weekend with the killing of two Israeli grandparents by Palestinian gunmen in Gaza.
The ambush was claimed jointly by the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - loosely affiliated with Abbas's ruling Fatah party - and the popular resistance committee.
Israeli soldiers and guards shot dead a Jihad militant and another from al-Aqsa after the ambush.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had said he would "not countenance" such violence and threatened a harsh response to any possible unrest during and after the pullout, which was to begin on August 17.
Need for swift answers
But, Abbas also accused Israel on Monday of still failing to provide answers to key questions related to the withdrawal.
He said he had emphasised the need for swift answers on a range of issues such as the re-opening of an airport in southern Gaza and a safe passage between the territory and the occupied West Bank during talks with visiting United States secretary, Condoleezza Rice, at the weekend.
He said: "Until now there has not been a positive answer from the Israeli side, although there is contact with them.
"I expect they will give us answers this week, but it will be very late."
Talks between Palestinian Interior Minister Nasr Yussef and Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz on next month's pullout broke up on Sunday with both sides admitting that they had failed to produce any kind of breakthrough.
Soldiers to 'dismantle equipment'
Rice had said she thought the two sides "are making some progress".
She said: "I think we can close many of these issues very expeditiously with enough will, perhaps a change in view here or a change in view there."
Although the operation to remove settlers from Gaza and four small Israeli enclaves in the northern West Bank was expected to last about three weeks, Israeli soldiers would stay behind to dismantle their equipment.
Defence ministry sources said that keen to ensure troops were out of harm's way as soon as possible, the Israeli defence establishment had drawn up plans to ensure that no troops would be left in Gaza beyond Jewish new year on October 3.
- AFP