Palestinians resolve militants dispute

Palestinian officials today said they had resolved a dispute over 17 militants held at gunpoint in Yasser Arafat’s compound, and that the men would not be moving to Jericho as desired by Israel.

An Israeli minister had said such a transfer could ease the way to Israel lifting its siege of Arafat and pulling out of the West Bank town of Ramallah, the Palestinians’ administrative headquarters.

Abdel Fattah Hamayel, a Palestinian minister responsible for negotiating with the militants, said “the principal issue” in the dispute had been resolved.

“They will not be sent to Jericho, they will not be arrested,” he said. “What is still being negotiated is how their security can be assured.”

Hamayel said it was not clear whether the militants would stay at the compound or be moved elsewhere in Ramallah.

He said the two sides were meeting with American intermediaries to discuss the wider issue of militants wanted by Israel.

The detained militants are from the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, a violent group affiliated with Arafat’s Fatah movement which has killed scores of Israelis, primarily in shooting attacks.

Fatah joined the Islamic militant groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad in declaring a ceasefire on June 29, but Al Aqsa is loosely organised and leaders of some branches have refused to abide by the truce.

The stand-off over the militants illustrates tensions that are slowing progress on the “road map” peace plan.

Israel says the Palestinians must dismantle militant groups as required by the US-backed plan. The Palestinians say they fear civil war and need time to persuade the militants to disarm.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath and his Israeli counterpart, Silvan Shalom, were due to meet later today to discuss the road map, which aims to end violence and establish a Palestinian state by 2005.

The Israeli army said Sunday it had yet to remove any of the six unauthorised settlement outposts ordered to be dismantled on Saturday.

The road map requires Israel to remove more than 100 outposts put up in the West Bank and Gaza Strip without government authorisation since Prime Minister Ariel Sharon took office in March 2001.

So far, Israel has only taken down a handful, and also has not frozen construction in established Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza as required by the plan.

Trying to ease another dispute that is holding up progress, an Israeli ministerial committee is due to meet today to work out details of a release of several hundred of the 7,700 Palestinian prisoners Israel holds, including some members of Islamic militant groups.

A senior Israeli official said the committee would consider broadening the criteria for release to include prisoners on awaiting trial. Palestinians want all the prisoners freed.

Also, Hezbollah guerillas in southern Lebanon said they had fired on Israeli aircraft that entered Lebanese airspace.

The Israeli army said three separate salvos of anti-aircraft fire were fired across the border. The army would not say whether Israeli planes were flying in the area.

Earlier Israeli police shot a driver after he failed to stop at a roadblock near Jerusalem. Israeli media reported the man was Palestinian and died of his wounds.