Israel Intends To Resume Extrajudicial Executions

MOI Warns Israel Might Resume Extrajudicial Executions

GAZA, June 23, 2005 (IPC + Agencies) - - The Ministry of Interior warned today that Israeli might resume its frozen extrajudicial execution policy against Palestinian resistance activists, and continue military escalations throughout the occupied Palestinian territories.

A press statement by the Ministry asserted that the recent remarks made by Israeli officials about returning to the extrajudicial executions did not serve to calm the Palestinians down, or the current ceasefire, and might engulf the entire region in violence and bloodshed again.

The Ministry called on civilians and political factions to unite in the face of the Israeli escalations and refrain from falling in the trap, by returning to armed conflict again.

The Israeli Internal Security Minister, Gideon Ezra, had declared yesterday that a military decision might be taken to resume extrajudicial execution of militant and political leaders of the Islamic Jihad movement, pointing out to the bombing of a house in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahya, which targeted an Islamic Jihad activist.

"The war on any organization that works against us will continue, and as long as the Palestinian Authority cannot fight terrorism Israel will," Ezra claimed.

Israeli forces have stepped up their military measures against members of the Islamic Jihad movement, after arresting more than 60 members throughout the Palestinian territories over the past three days.

Meanwhile, senior Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza Strip, Khaled Al Batsh, condemned the Israeli escalation and said that Israel would not break the will of the Palestinian people by its measures, asserting his movement's commitment to the declared ceasefire but stressing the right to retaliate individually to any Israeli attack.

Palestinian militant groups threatened yesterday to retaliate to the resumption of extrajudicial executions by carrying out attacks against Israeli targets, considering that attacks on any faction are the same as attacking all factions.

The Israeli radio reported yesterday that the Israeli forces have received a green light by the government to attack resistance activists from the Islamic Jihad in Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Defense Minister, told a battalion of soldiers in Hebron City on Wednesday that the Islamic Jihad movement "is not part of the ceasefire," warning that Israel would strike at any "terrorist" organization that carried out attacks in case the Palestinian Authority failed to do rein it in.

In the meantime, the White House did not comment on the Israeli remarks of resuming extrajudicial executions, as White House Spokesman Scott McClellan refrained from criticizing Israel or determine the US policy regarding the Israeli extrajudicial executions.

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