Palestinian Cabinet warns Israel may escalate Gaza incursion

By NNN-KUNA

Ramallah : The Palestinian cabinet warned Monday that Israel may carry out its threat of an escalation in Gaza Strip, which would pull the region back into violence and thwart peace efforts.


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In its weekly session, the cabinet noted that these threats coincided with an escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem, where settlements and the separating wall were continuing to be built, alongside political assassination and arrests.

The Palestinian cabinet stressed the need to lift the siege on Gaza and open the crossing, so as to put an end to the deteriorating humanitarian situation there.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative Mustafa Al-Barghouthi said at a press conference that Israel exploited the Annapolis Conference in order to gain time needed to carry out its settlement construction plans.

In CAIRO, Egypt reiterated Monday its rejection of the Israeli siege imposed on the Palestinian people.

President Hosni Mubarak, while speaking to newspaper chief editors, said his country would continue its efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people and to lift the siege imposed on them.

“This (stance) does not conflict with the protection of our borders, and we reaffirm that Egyptian borders are sacred and we will not allow any violation of our territories,” he added.

The president noted that his country would not fail to take action to protect its borders, and refused any foreign pressure or interference in its internal policies.

Mubarak explained that the solution to the problem at Rafah Crossing would be to implement the crossings’ agreement signed in 2005 with the Palestinian Authority and the EU.

He refused any foreign presence in Sinai or any other Egyptian land.

Meanwhile, two Palestinians were injured Monday in an Israeli air raid against the city of Rafah southern GAZA Strip, eyewitnesses said.

An Israeli warplane hit a sport utility vehicle (SUV) which belonged to Izzuddin Al-Qassam brigades, the military wing of Hamas, with two missiles but injured two civilians near the car, the witnesses told KUNA.

The people inside the SUV survived the attack and left the car which was burned completely, they added.

The brigades said a group of its fighters were inside the SUV but survived the shelling.

Israeli helicopters were hovering over Gaza Monday.

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