Roundup: Israel ponders Hamas election win, Gaza violence escalates

Dec 31, 2005, 18:17 GMT

Gaza/Jerusalem - Fresh violence broke out across the Gaza Strip Saturday, as Israel announced an inter-ministerial committee was to review policy should the militant Islamic organization Hamas assume control of the Palestinian Authority in January 25 elections.

The committee, set to begin work Sunday, would be headed by Premier Ariel Sharon's senior advisor Dov Weisglass, working together with Israeli secret service and Foreign Ministry representatives.

It would prepare for the possible scenario and implications of Hamas winning the elections and assuming control of the PA.

The team was also discuss increased anarchy in the Palestinian Authority area and a perceived inability of the administration to curb the current violence.

Vice Premier Shimon Peres also said Saturday that if Hamas were to take control over the PA, the future of the road map peace plan would be put in jeopardy, Israel Radio reported.

'Such a takeover would endanger the international assistance given to the Palestinians because no country would give financial or other help to an authority ruled by an armed terror organization,' he said.

Early Saturday dozens of militants of the ruling Palestinian Fatah movement's armed wing stormed the offices of the PA in the central Gaza Strip demanding jobs, witnesses said.

Around 25 armed members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades broke into the offices shared by the PA employment ministry, interior ministry and the office of the national economy demanding jobs opportunities.

A spokesman said they were protesting over the PA neglecting previous requests to employ the militants and integrate them in governmental ministries.

'This protest is also against the current deteriorating situation in the Fatah movement,' spokesman Abu Mahmoud said.

In Jerusalem, nineteen Fatah movement candidates from East Jerusalem for the January 25 Palestinian legislative elections threatened to drop out of the race.

They were protesting a low position in the candidate roster and Israel's refusal to allow East Jerusalem Palestinians to vote in the elections, a leading Fatah member from Jerusalem said.

Claiming that Jerusalem is regarded as the capital of the future Palestinian state, the candidates have demanded a top placement in the roster.

They also expect the PA to work towards convincing Israel to allow Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem to actively participate in the elections and vote inside the annexed part of the city.

Meanwhile, militants of the same group halted PA officials' cars heading to the Rafah border crossing in Egypt, preventing anyone holding Palestinian VIP passports from leaving the Gaza Strip.

The group said the decision to ban PA officials from leaving the Gaza Strip was 'a protest against PA officials' weakness and inability to end the state of chaos' in the Gaza Strip.

Ending the three day abduction of human rights activist Kate Burton and her parents, Hugh and Helen, a new group calling itself the 'Brigades of the Mujaheddin' claimed responsibility overnight Saturday for the kidnapping of the British nationals.

The group said their actions were in response to Israel's creation of security 'buffer zone' in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to prevent militants from launching Qassam rockets at southern Israel.

In a communiqué sent to reporters, the group said its militants decided 'to give amnesty to the three Britons we abducted and release them as a gesture of goodwill'.

'We decided to release them for a pledge of Britain and the European Union to exert every possible effort to end the Israeli actions and aggressions in northern Gaza Strip,' the communiqué said.

The group warned of 'further action' if the 'aggression' on the Gaza Strip does not end soon, saying 'all foreign observers for the coming election will be our targets'.