Abbas decries 'crime against humanity'

MIDDLE EAST: Reaction/analysis President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel's military incursion into Gaza as a "crime against humanity", while Wasfi Kubba, minister of prisoners' affairs, said the Israeli attacks have created a "humanitarian crisis".

Dr Mustafa Barghouti, member of parliament and head of the Palestinian Medical Relief Committees, argued that Israel's air strikes against power installations that cut both electricity and water constitute "collective punishment" of more than half the 1.3 million residents of the Strip.

Lebanese foreign minister Fawzi Salloukh castigated the "suspicious silence" of the world and demanded that the UN Security Council "take a firm stand that ends the agression against the Palestinian people".

The al-Akhbar daily of Abu Dhabi said Israel had used the capture of its soldier "to launch an all-out criminal operation against the Palestinian people".

Battered by 39 years of adversity under Israeli occupation, many Palestinian citizens of Gaza steeled themselves for further hardships while insisting those holding the Israeli soldier Cpl Gilad Shalit should exact a price for his release.

Militants from the armed wing of Hamas, the Izzedin al-Qassam Brigades, and the Popular Resistance Committees, have demanded the release of all 95 women and 313 children held by Israel in exchange for information on Cpl Shalit.

Palestinians are highly sensitive on the prisoner issue because Israel failed to free hundreds of prisoners detained before the signing of the Oslo Accord in 1993. The Palestinian information ministry said it was "natural logic" to carry out a prisoner exchange.

"Previous Israeli governments have done so . . . and this is what other countries do in conflict situations." Palestinians regard Israeli troops as legitimate targets because Israel assassinates Palestinian leaders and conducts covert and overt raids to seize wanted Palestinians.

Many Palestinians took pride in Sunday's well-planned and well-executed operation which involved the construction of an 800m tunnel beneath the border, a frontal assault on an Israeli tank, and the capture of a soldier. Since such dramatic and successful operations are rare, this has boosted Palestinian morale.

Palestinian analysts suspect that Hamas militants, who may be operating under orders from the head of the movement's Damascus-based politburo, Khaled Mishaal, timed the strike and snatch to scupper Tuesday's agreement between Hamas and Fatah on the prisoners' document.

This proposes Palestinian statehood in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem (implying recognition of Israel in the rest of geographic Palestine) and calls for a national unity government.

Mr Mishaal rejects the pragmatic policies adopted by prime minister Ismail Haniyeh and his government. But hardline positions have more often than not backfired.

Pollster Nader Said warned that while Cpl Shalit's capture has temporarily strengthened Palestinian "self-esteem", Israel's response could "transform [ this] small victory into a big defeat".