GAZA STRIP, 23 September 2005 — Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas yesterday urged armed factions to help rebuild the Gaza Strip rather than flex their military muscle as he toured the ruins of Israel’s most hated former settlement.
Opening a water well amid the rubble-scarred landscape of Netzarim, Abbas confirmed that militants had agreed to stop all armed rallies and marches by Saturday, stressing that now was the time for a united reconstruction effort.
“All factions will participate with the Palestinian Authority in the rebuilding,” said Abbas, inaugurating a well to cater to some 3,000 Palestinians in the village of Al-Mughraqa near the former Netzarim settlement.
“It’s an important project to return the greenery to all the Palestinian territories which have been destroyed and bulldozed by Israel. We hope to be the first of all of our re-construction projects,” Abbas said.
His tour of Netzarim, where armed activists have been out in force since Israeli troops left the Gaza Strip on Sept. 12, follows talks with representatives of the main Palestinian factions late Wednesday.
“What is important is that we decided Saturday will be the last day for military displays in the Gaza Strip and to move on to rebuilding areas which were destroyed by Israel,” said Abbas.
Armed factions, particularly Hamas, have staged a number of large-scale rallies in the aftermath of Israel’s departure from Gaza as they seek to claim credit for what they see as an act of surrender.
Hamas has confirmed it has agreed to end its celebratory military parades and armed marches in Gaza towns, but refuses appeals from Abbas, Israel and the international community to disarm before taking part in elections in January.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces yesterday evacuated an old army base in the northern West Bank used last as a staging area for removing settlers and protesters from two settlements last month, but soldiers shot dead a young Palestinian who entered the base too quickly.
Yesterday morning, Allah Khamtouni, 19, and nine other Palestinians went into the Dotan base near the Palestinian town of Jenin, mistakenly thinking it had been abandoned, Palestinian officials said.
Israeli Col. Shmulik Kalmi said Khamtouni ran into the base with a group of people. Soldiers fired warning shots in the air, but the infiltrators did not halt, he said. Fearing the Palestinians might be planning a suicide bombing, the soldiers fired at Khamtouni’s legs, but he bent down as they fired, was hit in the shoulder and died, Kalmi said.
Late yesterday afternoon, the last troops left Dotan and Palestinians flooded in, grabbing what debris and construction materials they could, before Palestinian police opened fire on the scavengers, wounding three in the legs, witnesses said. About 60 uniformed police restored order.
In another development related to the pullout, Israel indicated it would speed up plans for reopening a vital Gaza crossing point.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told military officers he intends to reopen the Rafah border crossing in January, and from next week Palestinians would be able to use the new Kerem Shalom facility at the junction of the Israeli, Egyptian and Gaza borders, defense officials said. Israel had said the Rafah crossing would be closed for six months for security and customs arrangements.
Palestinians insist on free access in and out of Gaza through Rafah with no Israeli presence, and have rejected the Kerem Shalom option.
Also yesterday, an Israeli court convicted Abbas Sayad, the commander of the Hamas military wing in the West Bank town of Tulkarem, of masterminding a March 2002 suicide bombing that killed 29 people at a Passover holiday meal at the Park Hotel in the Israeli resort city of Netanya.
