Israel pushed into West Bank towns early on Wednesday and vowed to occupy territory until Palestinian attacks are halted, taking a new hard line after a suicide bombing killed 19 Israelis on a bus.
The policy, announced by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon after meetings with his top security and political leaders, came at a crucial moment in the Middle East conflict with the United States poised to unveil a new peace strategy.
Israeli troops, tanks and armoured personnel carriers rumbled into the northern West Bank towns of Jenin and Qalqilya, both centres of Palestinian militancy, and briefly occupied the town of Nablus, officials said.
The moves came after the Israeli government vowed to take ”several military actions” against Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority (PA) following Tuesday’s blast on a rush-hour Jerusalem bus crowded with commuters and schoolchildren.
The attack, the worst in Israel in nearly three months, killed the driver and 18 passengers, including an 11-year-old and a 15-year-old girl. About 50 people were wounded.
A statement issued by Sharon’s office pledged ”a change in the way Israel responds to murderous acts of terror. Israel will respond to acts of terror by capturing PA territory.
”These areas will be held by Israel as long as terror continues. Additional acts of terror will lead to the taking of additional areas,” it said.
But a government representative later cautioned that the moves into Jenin and Qalqilya might or might not be part of the new policy, depending on circumstances.
The hardening of Israel’s position came as US President George Bush was finalising a peace plan based on creation of a Palestinian state that Sharon, standing amid the debris of Tuesday’s bombing, angrily rejected.
Bush on Tuesday condemned ”in the strongest possible terms” the latest suicide attack which he said was aimed at disrupting his peace efforts.
But there was no immediate US reaction to the Israeli military response. Washington has defended incursions as legitimate self-defence and signalled that Sharon would have a free hand to retaliate if the bombings continued.
Palestinian security and Israeli official said Israeli infantry units backed by dozens of tanks as well as armoured personnel carriers and helicopter gunships moved into Jenin and its refugee camp around dawn.
The camp was the scene in April of the fiercest fighting in Israel’s six-week West Bank military offensive aimed at cracking down on Palestinian militants.
The Palestinian sources said the Israeli army had towed at least five caravans by trailer into the refugee camp, suggesting it was going to stay for some time.
Israeli forces briefly occupied Nablus, meeting no resistance. The army withdrew four hours later after arresting three Palestinians on its wanted list.
The Israeli representative said the army had also reoccupied Qalqilya in a bid to ”eradicate terrorist cells in this town” and had arrested five Palestinians around the West Bank towns of Hebron and Bethlehem.
In Washington, Bush was determined to keep his peace effort on track, fine-tuning a soon-to-be unveiled strategy for ending the nearly 21-month-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
”We believe in peace in the Middle East, that we’re going to be steadfast toward a vision that rejects terror and killing, and honours peace and hope,” the US leader said.
Bush was widely expected to unveil his plan as early as Wednesday. Aides have said he may opt for the creation of a ”provisional” Palestinian state and call an international conference to discuss the matter.
US officials said Secretary of State Colin Powell was expected to travel to the Middle East shortly after Bush showcases his eagerly awaited initiative, which the White House insisted would not be affected by the latest violence.
Powell could make the trip as early as next week to brief Israel, the Palestinians, Arab nations and other interested parties on Bush’s vision and organise the international conference, the officials said.
”We’ve got to do everything we can, working with the others in the region, and elsewhere, to move towards two states living side by side in peace. We’re not going to lose sight of that focus,” said Bush representative Scott McClellan. – Sapa-AFP