Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said that PA Chairman Yasser Arafat had not kept his side of the cease-fire bargain in any respect, including the arrest of wanted terrorists. Israel had given Arafat a two-day period to begin implementing steps agreed to in his meeting with Foreign Affairs Minister Shimon Peres. Nevertheless, Israel Sunday and Monday continued withdrawing tanks and lifting roadblocks, easing the closure on areas that had stayed relatively quiet.

An upsurge in violence over the weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the start of the Intifada and shattered last-week's efforts by Arafat and Peres to formalize a cease-fire. After clashes and riots throughout the West Bank and Gaza left 10 Palestinians killed, and more than 100 Palestinians and 12 Israelis wounded, Israel's security cabinet decided to maintain the cease-fire and comply with agreements in hopes of Palestinian reciprocity over the next two days.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon convened his security cabinet Saturday night to discuss Palestinian violations of the cease-fire and the violent incidents that swept the territories over the weekend. Ben-Eliezer recommended to the cabinet that Israel continue to implement agreements reached with the Palestinians. The Defense Minister also accepted the security establishment's recommendations to lift closures in cities and remove blockades of central roads only in areas where violence has been reduced. "It is important to follow through with this move until its end, and to honor Israel's commitments," he said.

According to the cabinet decision, Israel expects the Palestinians to demonstrate "reciprocity" in carrying out cease-fire decisions, including the arrest of wanted terrorists from the list of 108 fugitives that Israel presented at the Peres-Arafat meeting.

A diplomatic source told ynet that "if the Palestinians continued to fire, incite and did not initiate arrests against 'wanted' terrorists, as they had agreed, Israel would no longer be obligated by the understandings."

According to media sources, an additional security reassessment will take place in two days. If the Palestinians have not begun to take actions against terrorism, Israel would reportedly resume its policy of initiated actions.

The purpose of the security cabinet decision, according to diplomatic sources, was to deliver a warning to the Palestinian Authority and to avoid international criticism. According to the sources, "It is important that the world knows that Israel took that extra step towards the international coalition against terror, but that Arafat has not changed. It is important that the Americans know who their partner in the coalition is."

Ministers Uzi Landau (Likud), Rechavam Ze'evi (National Union) and Shlomo Benizri (Shas) all reportedly opposed the cabinet decision to extend cease-fire compliance. "Peres caused severe damage to the State of Israel," charged Landau in reference to last week's cease-fire agreement. Landau said Peres's meeting with Arafat had "blurred the distinction between the good guys and the bad guys and had seriously impaired the IDF's preventive power."

This morning Israel prepared to implement its part of the agreements. Restrictions were set to be eased in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and the IDF was to remove its closure from around the city of Jericho, where there were no incidents of violence over the weekend.

Upsurge in violence over weekend
Marking the first anniversary of the start of the Intifada, Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets in angry demonstrations throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israelis were attacked throughout Judea and Samaria, and 11 people were lightly or moderately injured. Despite Palestinian promises to stop the firing of mortars, shells landed on Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, and for the first time near Tekoa, south of Bethlehem.

The rioting and clashes with IDF troops left 10 Palestinians killed, including many youths, and more than 100 people wounded. In the most lethal single incident, 4 militants were killed Friday night by an IDF tank shell as they reportedly laid an explosive charge near Rafah.

An Islamic Jihad activist was reportedly killed as he was preparing an explosive charge near Hebron. Ha'aretz reported that Palestinians detonated three explosive devices near IDF troops in the Bethlehem area on Friday. One of the explosions took place next to the West Bank village of el-Khader, in Palestinian-controlled Area A. The IDF returned fire, killing a 17-year-old Palestinian. A ten-year-old Palestinian boy was also killed when IDF troops moved to disperse violent demonstrators at the neighboring village of Banai Na'im.

In Hebron on Saturday, two IDF soldiers were injured in Hebron when Palestinians opened fire on an IDF outpost near Beit Hadassah. On Friday, Palestinians fired on IDF positions and settler homes. Palestinian sources said one Palestinian was killed as the IDF returned fire. An Israeli brother and sister were injured when shots at their car in the Hebron Hills caused an accident. Thrown stones caused another serious accident near Nablus, in which four Israelis were injured, one moderately. Earlier, an IDF soldier was lightly injured by gunfire in Hebron and stones thrown in Tulkarm lightly injured a border policeman.

This morning two Palestinians were killed and six others wounded, reportedly when they tried to evade an army roadblock near the Samaria community of Homesh. The Palestinians were traveling in a taxi, which abruptly stopped and drove off before reaching the roadblock. The men, apparently heading for day jobs in Israel, tried to flee on foot and IDF soldiers opened fire on the group. The IDF Spokesman said the army was investigating the incident.

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