Israel unimpressed by Hamas leader's initiative

JERUSALEM - Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas leader who took over last week as Palestinian Prime Minister, restored a measure of order to the streets of Gaza yesterday after four people were killed in clashes provoked by the assassination on Friday of a Hamas military commander.

Hamas had accused the Preventive Security Service, still loyal to the old Fatah regime, of complicity in the killing.

Witnesses reported that rogue gunmen complied with the Prime Minister's call to keep their weapons out of sight.

It was one of the first tests of the Islamist Government's promise to end the anarchy that dogged the last months of Fatah rule.

After Mr Haniyeh appointed a committee to investigate a car bombing that killed the commander, Abdel Karim Koka, Fatah agreed to cooperate.

Samir Masharawi, a party strongman and defeated candidate in the January elections, said: "We will do our best to prevent civil strife."

Observers said no one in Gaza wanted the crisis to escalate, but resentment still simmered below the surface.

Mr Masharawi angrily denied charges that he and another Fatah leader, Mohammed Dahlan, were behind the Koka assassination.

"It seems," he said, "that the Hamas brothers have forgotten that they are now in power and are responsible for security."

Israel remained unimpressed by Mr Haniyeh's initiative.

Mark Regev, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said: "The fundamental problem from our point of view is the daily salvoes of Al Qassam rockets on Israeli farming and urban communities in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip.

"This reached a crescendo on our election day last week when we had a higher-level rocket, a Katyusha, fired at Ashkelon. As a first gesture, this all has to stop."

So far, Israel has suffered no direct casualties, but four Bedouin shepherds were killed last week when they picked up unexploded Qassams in the Western Negev.

The Israel Defence Forces stepped up their counter-offensive on Saturday.

Artillery, aircraft and two missile boats fired more than 350 shells into the area of northern Gaza from which the rockets are launched.

It was the first time missile boats had been deployed.

Two buildings said to be used for attacking Israel were destroyed.

Shelling resumed yesterday, most of it into open fields.

Although Israel is trying to avoid harming Palestinian civilians, officers said they were aiming closer to populated areas: "The rules of the game have changed."

On the West Bank, Palestinian militias are still sending bombers across the old Green Line border to kill Israelis.

Security services yesterday arrested two men who had infiltrated the Jordan Valley town of Beit Shean.

They were hiding in a timber factory.

Officers said they were waiting to receive their explosives.

Israeli scepticism at Hamas' intentions was reinforced by an interview Mahmoud Zahar, the hardline Foreign Minister, gave to a Chinese news agency.

"I hope that our dream to have an independent state on all historic Palestine will become reality one day," he said.

"I am certain of this because there is no place for the state of Israel on this land."

Along with much of the international community, Israel is boycotting the Hamas regime until it recognises Israel, denounces violence and endorses previous agreements.

Washington last week barred its diplomats - including the Jerusalem consulate-general, which serves as a de facto embassy to the Palestinian Authority - from any contact with Hamas ministers or their officials, though they can still talk to the Fatah President, Mahmoud Abbas.

British diplomats say they are also giving Hamas the cold shoulder.

The last contact is said to have been six months ago.

- INDEPENDENT