GAZA CITY, 8 February 2007 — The Palestinian Ministry of Refugees revealed yesterday that Minister Atef Edwan’s convoy came under attack in an apparent assassination attempt.
The ministry said that the minister’s convoy was fired on by unknown armed men in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, but Edwan was not in the convoy when it was targeted. A statement issued by the press office of the ministry confirmed that the minister was the target of the shooting.
Minister Edwan blamed the attack on the so-called “inciting current” which attempted to create a deterioration in the situation in the Palestinian territories and to drag Hamas into retaliatory actions so as to resume the internal fighting.
He also blamed members of the so-called “inciting current” for the killing of Mohammed Abu Karsh, a leader of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades yesterday in Gaza City.
Abu Karsh, 24, was killed and three others were wounded when unknown men opened fire at them near security headquarters in Gaza City.
In the West Bank, unidentified armed men abducted the head of hospitals of the West Bank from his office in Ramallah yesterday afternoon. Sources in the Ministry of Health confirmed the incident adding that 20 armed men broke into the ministry in the city and abducted Dr. Bilal Al-Aboshi.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett, who is visiting Israel, said yesterday that even if Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah patch up their differences and form a unity government, London will shun the resulting government as long as Hamas defies international demands to recognize Israel and foreswear violence, Israeli Haaretz Daily reported.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Beckett in Jerusalem yesterday to discuss the Middle East peace process.
