GAZA CITY, 14 July 2003 — Palestinian movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad threatened yesterday to end their freeze on anti-Israeli attacks if the Palestinian Authority attempted to confiscate their weapons as Israel’s Europe-bound Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stepped up a campaign to sideline his arch foe Yasser Arafat.
“If the Palestinian Authority tries to confiscate our weapons they will force Islamic Jihad and Hamas to cancel the hudna (truce),” said a joint statement received here.
“If the Palestinian Authority tries to confiscate our weapons the responsibility for the results lies with the Palestinian Authority.” Hamas and Islamic Jihad both agreed to a three-month halt to anti-Israeli attacks last month, although the truce came attached with a raft of conditions.
“If the Palestinian security department decides to confiscate the resistance weapons ... this is a red line which we cannot ever cross,” the statement added.
As Sharon flew to London, his campaign to persuade governments to boycott Arafat was dealt a blow with a meeting between the veteran Palestinian leader and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.
And another shadow was cast over the fledgling peace process by the abduction of an Israeli taxi driver in the West Bank which Israel said was carried out by Palestinian militants.
Senior Palestinians — including Information Minister Nabil Amr, legislative council Speaker Ahmed Qorei and the former peace talks negotiator Saeb Erekat — met Arafat and Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas yesterday in a bid to heal divisions.
— Additional input from Agencies
