Israel will withdraw its troops from Palestinian towns for 72 hours during next month's Palestinian presidential election, the defense minister said Monday, signaling that a deadly weekend attack on an Israel army post is not derailing fledgling peace efforts. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz also said it is in Israel's interest to coordinate next year's planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip with the Palestinians — a marked departure from Israel's initial insistence to act unilaterally.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the new Palestinian leadership is not doing enough to restrain militants. "By now, we don't see any change," Sharon said of Palestinian efforts. The comments marked the first time since Yasser Arafat's death last month that Sharon criticized the Palestinian leader's moderate successor, Mahmoud Abbas, although he did not mention Abbas by name. Later Monday, Israel's military chief, Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon, said militants are trying to undermine the new Palestinian leadership, but he hinted that Israel's patience is growing thin. "We have no choice but to act ourselves," Yaalon said at a briefing in the Gaza Strip. "That is what we are doing and that is what we will do unless someone on the other side takes responsibility and starts to deal themselves with the terror groups." |