Middle East envoy resolute despite retaliation killings

Date: 24/01/02

By David Cronin and Martin Banks

THE EU's special envoy to the Middle East this week expressed optimism that Israeli troops will withdraw from areas officially under the exclusive control of the Palestinian Authority in spite of their occupation of one such town this week.

But Miguel Moratinos made his comments before the latest setback in the region. Two Israeli women died from gunshot wounds early yesterday (23 January). They were shot in retaliation for the killing of four Hamas militants in the West Bank town of Nablus the previous day. Following the attacks, a spokesman for Moratinos said that the pursuit of peace was 'all the more difficult' but that the envoy is determined to continue with efforts to broker a settlement. He has strongly condemned the killings.

Moratinos had previously said he hoped this evacuation 'would take place soon' after he held talks with senior figures in the Israeli government, including Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, on Tuesday. The continued presence of Israeli forces in 'Area A' - over which the Palestinian Authority has official control - 'doesn't help to create better conditions,' the Spanish diplomat told European Voice.

Area A includes the West Bank towns of Ramallah, where Yasser Arafat has been confined by a military blockade since December, and Tulkarem, which was taken over by Israeli soldiers for 30 hours earlier this week.

Asked if he managed to secure any guarantees from Ariel Sharon's administration, Moratinos replied: ''Guarantees' is not an appropriate word in the Middle East. What's important is that everybody is committed to progress. We're trying to facilitate as much progress as possible.'

On Monday, he travelled past the military cordon in Ramallah to visit Arafat in his partially destroyed headquarters. During the talks, the Palestinian leader promised that he will shortly produce a report on his enquiries into the Karine-A arms shipment. On 3 January, this vessel was seized in the Red Sea, laden with 50 tonnes of weapons. Israel claims that these were ordered by Arafat's henchmen.

Moratinos said he asked Arafat for 'a credible report that will put an end to the [Karine-A] issue', as well as a commitment to continue dismantling the networks of extremist groups blamed for suicide bombings and other recent attacks against Israel.

He added that the EU is resolved to keep working with Arafat as he is 'democratically elected by the Palestinian people'.

An official with Israel's embassy in Brussels said his country had 'no other alternative' than attacking the Palestinian infrastructure: 'If you want to avoid terrorism, then you have to use any means. It's unfair to discuss this issue without looking at the whole picture and the fact that Israelis are under daily terror attacks by the Palestinian Authority.'

• Israeli attacks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have caused €17 million worth of damage to EU-funded projects, the European Commission said this week. EU foreign ministers will discuss if they should take particular measures against Israel over this matter when they meet in Brussels on Monday.

However Gunner Wiegand, spokesman for External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, stressed that the figure was an 'early estimate'.

The EU's special envoy to the Middle East has expressed optimism that Israeli troops will withdraw from areas officially under the exclusive control of the Palestinian Authority in spite of their occupation of one such town.