Asia

Asia

Gaza Militants Threaten Attacks On Israel

04 September 2010 01:39 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Thirteen Palestinian militant groups have joined forces to step up attacks on Israel following the "productive" peace talks in Washington, APA reports quoting â€œSky Newsâ€.
The threat came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to meet every fortnight to structure a peace deal.
A spokesman for Hamas, which was not involved in the talks, said 13 militant groups in the Gaza Strip would work together to launch "more effective attacks" against Israel.
Asked if this included suicide bombings, he said: "All options are open."
Hamas has claimed responsibility for two shootings in the West Bank this week that killed four Israeli settlers and wounded two.
Mr Netanyahu and Mr Abbas have been holding the first direct negotiations between the two parties in nearly two years.
We call on the Israeli government to move forward with its commitment to end all settlement activities and completely lift the embargo over the Gaza Strip.
US Middle East envoy Senator George Mitchell said the first round of talks were held in "good faith and with a seriousness of purpose".
Calling the initial discussions "long and productive", he added that the men have agreed to meet again on September 14 and 15 in the region - and then every two weeks.
Referring to the agreed further meetings, Sky News’ Middle East correspondent Dominic Waghorn said: "The key point is momentum.
"Giving the impression of momentum is crucial. It forces both partners to keep up with each other - and becomes much harder for them to become rejectionist and walk away."
Senator Mitchell refused to specify what any framework agreement would contain but did said it would lay out the "fundamental compromises" needed for a final settlement, hopefully in a year’s time.
Those compromises will involve the thorniest issues: the borders of an eventual Palestinian state, the political status of Jerusalem, the fate of Palestinian refugees and security.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opened negotiations by saying the presence of the two parties was itself a step towards peace.
Addressing his Palestinian counterpart, Mr Netanyahu said: "I see in you a partner for peace."
But he warned: "This will not be easy. A true peace, a lasting peace, (will) be achieved only with mutual and painful concessions from both sides."
He added that a "genuine peace must take into account the security needs of Israel".
In his opening statement, Mr Abbas called on Israel to end Jewish settlements in the West Bank and other areas Palestinians want to be part of their own state.
Acknowledging the "suspicions and scepticism" that surround the talks, Mrs Clinton said the US would be a committed partner in the peace effort but it "cannot and will not impose a solution".
She added: "By being here, you each have taken an important step toward freeing your peoples from the shackles of a history we cannot change and moving toward a future of peace and dignity that only you can create."
Ahead of the talks, President Barack Obama stressed: "This moment of opportunity may not soon come again."