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Israeli-Palestinian violence escalates
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A SHOCKED Israel buried its dead yesterday and weighed its reaction to the bloodiest attack in almost four years, as violence continued to spiral with the killing of a Palestinian policeman in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's Deputy Defence Minister Ephraim Sneh cautioned against a “ping-pong" battle with the Palestinians, while Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat blamed Israel for the escalation that he said threatened regional peace and stability.
Israel was reeling in horror and revulsion yesterday after the killing of eight young people a day earlier when a bus driven by a Palestinian ploughed into them during morning rush-hour at a bus stop south of Tel Aviv.
Israel slapped a complete blockade on the Palestinian territories, closing off its borders and imposing a naval blockade in Gaza, after the Tel Aviv attack.
Early yesterday an armed Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli soldiers as he was infiltrating the Jewish settlement of Kfar Darom in the southern Gaza Strip, a military spokesman said.
The latest death brought to 412 the number of people killed since the start of the Palestinian uprising in late September 28, mostly Palestinians.
Arafat, on his return to Gaza from a brief regional tour, accused the Israeli army of escalating the conflict by using toxic gas and heavy weapons.
“This dangerous escalation carried out by the Israeli Government and the Israeli army is not only dangerous for the peace, but is a danger for stability in the whole Middle East," he said.
Asked about US President George W Bush's appeal for both sides to end the “tragic cycle of violence", Arafat said: “I thank him for this call, but we must affirm that we do not use banned uranium and we don't use toxic gas and we don't use rockets, or helicopters or tanks or armored vehicles."
And on the future of the peace process, which has been on hold since talks with the outgoing government of Prime Minister Ehud Barak ended in failure last month, Arafat said: “We wait to see."
Israeli Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon, who crushed Barak in an election nine days ago, has vowed not to resume peace talks with the Palestinians until there is an end to the bloodletting.
Barak, meanwhile, said a national unity government with Sharon's right-wing Likud party was near.(SD-Agencies)
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