GAZA CITY, 27 September 2005 — Ariel Sharon’s Likud party narrowly rejected a move yesterday to force the Israeli prime minister into a November leadership contest against archrival Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The result is final. Sharon has won,” Likud spokesman Shmulik Sisso said.
The vote by the party’s central committee means that no leadership primary will now take place before April of next year.
Earlier yesterday, Israeli military helicopters continued their missile strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip even after a Hamas pledge late Sunday to halt its rocket attacks on Israel. In Gaza City the Israeli missiles destroyed a metal workshop and in the West Bank town of Khan Younis a building belonging to the Palestinian Authority was hit by three missiles. Another missile landed near the Egyptian-Gaza border, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.
No injuries were reported.
The Israeli Army said it targeted three buildings used by Palestinian activists to make and store weapons.
Also yesterday, Israeli troops arrested 90 wanted members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the West Bank. The arrests came 24 hours after a first dragnet resulted in 207 arrests.
Among the 90 arrested yesterday were 28 suspects picked up in Bethlehem and 34 in the southern city of Hebron, said the army.
The Bush administration backed Sharon’s military offensive against Hamas. Clearly disbelieving the pledge and still denouncing Hamas as a terrorist group, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Hamas attacked Israel after the statement was made.
“We understand the situation in which Israel finds itself,” McCormack said. “And we fully understand Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Last week, Assistant Secretary of State David Welch told Congress that the Palestinian Authority must move quickly to establish order and take steps “to dismantle the infrastructure of terror.”
— Additional input from agencies
