GAZA, 26 June 2003 — Israel yesterday killed four Palestinians, including two Hamas men in a fresh upsurge of violence, as Palestinian group leaders denied reports that they had tentatively agreed to a cease-fire with Israel in the 33-month-old Middle East conflict.
“We have no idea about these reports. We are still in a process of consultation within the movement.
“Every time we near a decision (Israel) slaughters more of our people,” senior Hamas figure Abdel-Aziz Al-Rantissi said. A leader of Islamic Jihad called the truce reports “all lies.”
Reports earlier said Palestinian groups had signed an agreement to halt attacks on Israelis for three months.
Israel fired missiles into two cars in the Gaza Strip yesterday, killing two Palestinians including a woman and wounding 16 people, Palestinian witnesses and security sources said. They said the air attack in the village of Abassan east of the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza had apparently targeted Mohammed Seyam, a member of the Hamas, who was wounded in the leg.
Earlier in the day, Israeli troops killed two Hamas men in a Gaza gun battle as a US envoy held talks nearby with the Palestinian prime minister in efforts to prop up a peace plan battered by violence.
The latest bloodletting raised questions about whether Hamas, the main group behind a campaign of bombings against Israelis, would soon call a temporary cease-fire.
Palestinian officials have voiced hope that Hamas would accept a moratorium on attacks in coming days. But Israel and Hamas have shown little willingness to abandon a cycle of tit-for-tat violence. Hamas’ military wing said in a statement that two of its men, aged 20 and 23, were killed in a raid on an Israeli Army outpost in the town of Beit Hanoun. The army said the Hamas men had barricaded themselves inside a house and battled soldiers.
Hamas said the attack was to avenge Israel’s killing of regional Hamas commander Abdullah Qawasme last weekend in the West Bank city of Hebron.
“We promise that the flag of jihad (holy war) and resistance will remain raised until the end of the (Israeli) occupation,” Hamas said.
The gun battle raged just nine km from the Gaza City office of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, where he met US envoy John Wolf.
Wolf was dispatched to the region after US-led summit on June 4 that affirmed commitment to the “road map” peace plan, which calls for reciprocal steps leading to a Palestinian state by 2005. Since then, more than 60 people have been killed on both sides.
