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Wednesday, April 3, 2002

Witnesses said there were dead bodies in front of the church.

"Can you imagine? Can you believe it? They are attacking the Church of Nativity, the Syrian Orthodox Church, and burn and demolish mosques," said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who remains under siege in his Ramallah headquarters, in an interview with Qatari television.

Israel accused the gunmen of shooting from inside the holy site, a charge the Palestinians denied.

Palestinian sources said Israeli troops threatened to break into the church. Witnesses said the Israeli army was bringing more infantry troops and armored vehicles to the area.

Exile

Arafat must be totally isolated in his headquarters to eliminate terrorism but would be allowed to leave the Palestinian territories in exile, never to return, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said earlier Tuesday.

Sharon, in comments made to reporters after visiting West Bank army bases, said he had received several telephone calls from heads of state and from the European Union's envoy Miguel Moratinos, who expressed concern about Arafat's situation.

"When they expressed their worries about the difficulties that Arafat is [facing] now, I told them that if they would like that, we will bring him somewhere, or they will come in a helicopter and will take him from here.

"First I would have to bring this to the cabinet, second he can't take anyone with him, the murderers who are located around him there, and the third thing is that it would have to be a one-way ticket," Sharon said. "He will not be able to return."

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said Tuesday that Arafat had rejected Sharon's offer of exile.

Arafat to Be Killed?

Erekat said Sharon's statement "is a preparation to kill President Arafat in the coming days.

"President Arafat said and he says that he would never leave Ramallah under any circumstances, and he prefers to stay with his people and die among his people," said Erekat.

Another indication of Sharon's thoughts, however, came when Channel 1 TV's microphones picked up a brief exchange with military Chief of General Staff Lt. Gov. Shaul Mofaz during the news conference.

"He ought to be kicked out," Mofaz advised quietly.

Sharon chuckled. "I know," he said.

"This is an opportunity. Now. There is no other opportunity," Mofaz pressed.

Israel has promised the United States not to hurt Arafat. Soldiers are laying siege to what remains of his headquarters.

Palestinian sources in Ramallah said Israeli troops had refused to let water and food supplies inside. Sharon said Arafat could use electricity but apparently chose to use candles.

The Israeli army lifted a curfew imposed on Ramallah since Friday for two hours to allow residents to buy food, medicine and gas. Medical officials used the time to bury the bodies of 25 Palestinians who had been kept into the hospital's refrigerators since Friday.

Attack in Gaza

In Gaza, the Israeli army Tuesday expanded its military offensive in West Bank towns, villages and refugee camps, killing and wounding an undetermined number of Palestinians, witnesses, medical and security sources said.

Palestinians in Ramallah said about 15 tanks and two helicopters attacked the main headquarters of the Palestinian preventive security in the adjacent town of Bitonia in an attempt to arrest Palestinian fugitives on an Israeli wanted list.

Israeli security sources said among the people in the building targeted was the most wanted man in the West Bank, Marwan Barghouti, a leader of Arafat's Fatah faction.

Palestinian security sources said the Israeli siege was centered on the main headquarters of the Palestinian Preventive Security and ended when 400 Palestinians, mainly security officers, surrendered and were arrested by Israeli troops.

The crisis ended after negotiations through CIA mediators, Palestinian and Israeli security officials said. The Palestinian security officers were taken to detention camps for interrogation and a senior Preventative Security official told United Press International under the deal they would be detained for 24 hours to determine whether any of them are wanted by Israel.

Unconfirmed medical reports said during fighting between dozens of militants and security officers at least 30 Palestinians may have been killed and injured, including five women who reportedly were dead.

"It is hard to know specifically how many people were killed and how many were injured in the building, because of the tightened curfew imposed on the area and because tanks prevent us from reaching the area," a Palestinian nurse told United Press International. Copyright 2002 by United Press International.

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