VARIOUS: IMPLEMENTATION OF DEAL TO END ISRAELI SIEGE OF THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY DELAYED

Record ID: 400527

  • Title: VARIOUS: IMPLEMENTATION OF DEAL TO END ISRAELI SIEGE OF THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY DELAYED
  • Date: 8th May 2002
  • Summary: (U5) BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (MAY 7, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. TOP VIEWS CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY AND SURROUNDING AREA WITH ISRAELI TANKS PASSING BY (6 SHOTS) 0.41 2. MV CAMERAMEN IN FRONT OF BARRIER IN FRONT OF IDF SPOKESMAN OLIVIER RAFOWICZ IN STREET LEADING TO MANGER SQUARE 0.46 3. SOUNDBITE (English) IDF SPOKESMAN OLIVIER RAFOWICZ "We have reached
  • Embargoed: 23rd May 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BETHLEHEM AND GILO CHECKPOINT, WEST BANK/ GAZA CITY, GAZA
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Reuters ID: LVA58BQTLYFM89U2WXG7WAE5C61R
  • Story Text: The implementation of a deal to end Israelis siege
    of the Church of the Nativity has been delayed as no country
    appears to be willing to take 13 Palestinian militants.

    Under an agreement reached earlier on Tuesday U.S.

    officials would escort 13 militants to Italy and the other 26
    to the Gaza Strip.

    Hamas has rejected the deal, saying it could lead to a
    dangerous precedent of regular deportation of Palestinians.

    A deal to end Israel's siege of Church of the
    Nativity was held up on Tuesday (May 7) because no country had
    been found to accept the Palestinian militants inside.

    Negotiators did however resolve a dispute on arms
    belonging to Palestinian security men that delayed a
    resolution to the five-week-old stand-off with Israeli troops.

    "We have reached an understanding about the crisis of the
    Church of the Nativity. The implementation is being delayed
    because there is no country willing to accept the terrorists.

    We are waiting for progress", army spokesman Olivier Rafowicz
    told reporters.

    Under a deal reached on Tuesday, U.S. officials would
    escort 13 militants to Egypt and then to Italy, and the other
    26 to the Gaza Strip.

    But Italy said it could not consider taking the
    Palestinians in exile for the time being, complaining that it
    had been kept in the dark about a deal.

    The possibility of receiving Palestinian citizens in Italy
    has never been raised (officially) and therefore at the
    current state of affairs it cannot be considered, an Italian
    Foreign Ministry
    statement said.

    A source close to the negotiations told Reuters that they
    were still trying to work on the Italy option.

    Scores of Palestinian gunmen sought refuge in the Church
    of the Nativity among more than 100 clerics, church workers
    and security men when Israeli tanks entered Bethlehem on April
    2.

    Israel had originally demanded that all of the militants,
    thought to include members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other
    groups, surrender or be deported. Palestinian officials at
    first refused to
    consider sending the men into exile.

    Israel says some of those inside are hostages. The
    Palestinians say all are there of their own accord.

    Militant groups behind attacks that have killed scores of
    Israelis have made clear their opposition to the deportation
    of their members in the church
    "This can be used as a dangerous phenomenon that can be
    repeated again in the future and the deportation of the
    Palestinian people could become normal", said Hamas spiritual
    leader Sheikh Yassin.

    The deal, which took shape while Sharon was in Washington
    waging a diplomatic assault against Yasser Arafat, would end
    the last major standoff of Israels West Bank offensive
    launched on March 29 after a wave of Palestinian suicide
    attacks.

    It would also pave the way for Israeli forces to withdraw
    from Bethlehem, the last city still occupied after the
    military campaign.

    On Tuesday Israeli forces began moving equipment out from
    positions around the church.

    Trucks carrying cranes and other equipment that had been
    used around Manger Square could be seen moving through Gilo
    checkpoint towards Jerusalem.


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