US News

HAMAS: 6 BOMBERS READY : RENEWS PLEDGE OF VIOLENCE

JERUSALEM – A Hamas leader told 3,000 U.S. flag-burning supporters there are “six more suicide bombers ready to go” in attacks against Israelis yesterday.

As the 3,000 Hamas members cheered in the Gaza Strip, Abdul Aziz Arentisi told the rally the only way to deal with Israel is “through armed conflict.”

Four bombers have recently killed themselves, the last in Kfar Saba near Tel Aviv two weeks ago in a blast that killed one Israeli and wounded 50 others.

Israeli forces remained on high alert following a heavy gun battle in the West Bank yesterday and more shelling on an Israel town from Palestinian-controlled Gaza.

Also, Palestinians detonated a bomb at the entrance of a Gaza settlement. An Israeli soldier and a Jewish settler were slightly wounded, the Israeli army said.

The Palestinians said they suffered seven casualties in the gun battle on the outskirts of Ramallah, where Israeli and Palestinian security officials had just met in another bid to coordinate efforts to end seven months of bloodshed.

No progress was reported in the security talk, but a high-level meeting is planned for tomorrow.

Despite the unabated violence, Israel will respond to a new peace initiative tomorrow, when Foreign Minister Shimon Peres visits Cairo, Egypt and Amman, Jordan.

He is scheduled to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan’s King Abdullah to convey Israel’s modifications to their peace plan.

The plan places the onus of ending the violence and resuming negotiations on Israel.

It calls for a pullback of Israeli tanks from Palestinian towns; a freeze on expansion of existing Jewish settlements; the withdrawal of troops from around Palestinian towns; and the release of money owed the Palestinian Authority.

Peres discussed the plan yesterday with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who said the main goal of Peres’ trip was to end the violence, not resume negotiations. Nearly 500 people have been killed since the bloodshed began last September.

After briefing Mubarak and Abdullah, Peres will proceeds to Washington to update Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice on Israel’s proposals.