OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 17 August — Israel issued a new warning yesterday to Palestinians to stop shooting or face reprisals, and said it was preparing for a “protracted battle” after more than 10 months of violence.
US President George W. Bush spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by telephone and they agreed on the need to avoid escalating the violence, a White House spokesman said.
Sharon’s office said he told Bush that Israel would continue to carry out “preventive operations”, euphemism for assassinations, against Palestinians.
A Palestinian was killed when his car overturned, apparently after a rock was thrown at it from an Israeli car as he drove through the West Bank. Palestinian witnesses said the attackers were Jewish settlers.
The 15-nation Security Council was yesterday considering a request from the Organization of Islamic Conference for an urgent meeting on the escalating violence. But Council members delayed a decision for several hours because of other issues on their agenda.
Nasser Al-Kidwa, the chief Palestinian UN delegate, said he had drafted a resolution that would call for a “monitoring mechanism,” a vaguer term than previous unsuccessful measures, for an observer force to help end the violence that began nearly a year ago.
“We have repeatedly said that it is the obligation of the Security Council to move and it is our duty to come to the Council,” Al-Kidwa said. “We are trying to do something reasonable and expect others to be reasonable too,” he said apparently referring to US action in the past blocking any discussion in the Council on the Middle East situation.
Palestinian Agriculture Minister Hikmat Zaid yesterday announced an embargo on a list of agricultural products from Israel in response to a 10-month blockade on Palestinian movement into Israel.
“This measure aims to denounce the destruction of Palestinian agriculture by Israel through the blockade of Palestinian territories,” he said.
The Israel products to be banned included bananas, mangoes, melons, pears, apples, chickens, eggs, beef and dairy products, with the exception of milk.
