Israel is busy denying several issues appearing in the press including reports of undercover operations and Mubarak’s statement to al-Aharam that, “Israel rejected conditions set by Hamas for the release of kidnapped Corporeal Gilad Shalit.”
Egypt warns Israel not to take peace treaty for granted
Compiled by Daily Star staff
An Israeli “war on all fronts” drew a rare warning from Egypt on Thursday that the military escalation jeopardizes a peace treaty with Israel as the Arab League held an emergency session to discuss the crisis. The threat of a regional conflagration rose Wednesday after Israeli warplanes overflew a palace of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose country is host to several Palestinian militant groups. A defiant Syria on Thursday vowed to defend itself against Israeli attacks.
While Cairo has remained mum since the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier in Gaza, the head of the Egyptian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee said Israel should not think the “peace reached with an Arab country can be guaranteed while it continues to perpetrate its crimes and aggressions.”
Mustafa al-Fekki, a senior member of President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling party, was referring to the peace treaty Egypt signed with Israel in 1979.
Egypt: Hamas Agrees To Release Hostage
CAIRO, Egypt, June 29, 2006
Anger flared across the Middle East over Israel’s assault, and many Arabs criticized their governments for not aiding the Palestinians. The Egyptian government’s top rival, the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, urged Egyptians to gather at pro-Palestinian demonstrations Friday, the Muslim Sabbath.
The request from Egypt came after Israel increased the stakes in the search for the soldier by arresting more than one-third of the Hamas-led Palestinian Cabinet, including the deputy prime minister, in a series of early morning raids in the West Bank.
Israel hinted that the 64 Hamas officials were intended as bargaining chips for Shalit, but one official said the opportunity for preventing a blowup was slipping away.
“We are at the edge of a cliff here, and I would urge the Palestinian leadership to release Cpl. Shalit,” Regev said.
Osama Hamdan, an exiled Hamas official based in Lebanon, declined to say whether the group would be willing to trade Shalit for its officials.
“It is premature to discuss this matter,” he said. “If the Israelis want to trade them (the Hamas politicians) for the soldier, then let them say it frankly and then we will react.”
Ongoing chaos
Under the pretext of fighting terrorism, Israeli military activities continue to destroy the lives of Palestinians, reports Erica Silverman from Nablus
“They [Israeli military] enter, they shoot innocent civilians, and cause destruction. I want the whole world to see the destruction,” cried Samir Al-Harwri standing amidst piles of charred rubble and smoldering ash, all that remained of his gold shop in the marketplace of Nablus just after an Israeli incursion into the crowded city centre last Wednesday. Samir and his son watched Israeli bulldozers push six burning cars against their family business operated by three generations for 50 years. He estimates it will cost over $50,000 to repair the damage.”They are trying to destroy the economy of Nablus,” said Mayor Adaly Yaish, as he toured the destruction, estimating damages to the Nablus economy at half a million dollars. Israeli forces invade the city daily, said Yaish, waving between the smoking shells of vehicles. Crowds gathered, trying to assess the damage and extinguish the flames made by the major Israeli operation that received little media coverage.
Early that morning Israeli Special Forces, operating undercover as Palestinians, entered Al-Yasmeen Hotel in the centre of the market, according to hotel manager Salem Hantoli. “They forced the employees to take off their clothing, searched them, and then brought down the guests,” reported Hantoli. A shaken American tourist said the unit announced they were conducting a “counter-terrorism” operation.
At midday the Special Forces were discovered near the hotel and a force of 30 jeeps invaded the city to evacuate them. Crowds of young men surrounded the jeeps hurling stones, and set one ablaze with a Molotov cocktail. According to witnesses the Israeli bulldozer piled several civilian cars on top of the burning jeep, and then pushed the cars adjacent to the shops. Within minutes the marketplace was burning. As shopkeepers tried to escape the flames Israeli forces fired sonic booms into the air. Two small children were shot in the legs, and several others injured.