1. ISRAELI COUPLE KILLED BY PALESTINIANS WHILE VISITING GUSH KATIF RELATIVES… A Jerusalem couple was killed by Palestinian terrorists while traveling from visiting relatives in the Gush Katif bloc of Israeli communities in the Gaza Strip on Saturday night. The car belonging to Dov and Rachel Kol came under fire as they drove along the road linking the Kissufim crossing to Gush Katif. Responsibility for the double murder was taken by the Islamic Jihad and Al –Aq’sa Martyrs Brigades terrorist organizations, the latter belonging to the mainstream Fatah movement headed by Mahmoud ‘Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Authority. One gunman was killed by Israeli soldiers at the scene, the body of another found later, apparently shot as he fled. Two Israelis sustained light to moderate injuries. The killings came only hours after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised ‘Abbas for clamping down on terrorist organizations. On Friday, Israeli security forces apprehended a Palestinian man wearing an 11-pound explosive belt. Under interrogation by the Shin Bet security agency, the suspect said he was told to blow himself up in a crowded spot in Tel Aviv. It was only the second time a would-be bomber managed to penetrate from the Gaza Strip. The 18-year-old from the Jabaliyya refugee camp in the northern part of the strip was believed to have crossed from Gaza near the Israeli community of Sderot.
2. DEATH TOLL SAID TO BE ‘AT LEAST 88’ IN SHARM A-SHEIKH BOMBINGS… Egyptian sources say that at least 88 people died in the three explosions that racked a resort in Sharm A-Sheikh early on Saturday morning. The dead were identified as Egyptian and European tourists. It was the most deadly terrorist attack in Egypt in a decade. Egyptian security forces have rounded up at least thirty-five suspects, most of whom are Bedouin. Two of the three explosions are believed to have been car bombs – possibly detonated by suicide bombers – which exploded simultaneously at 1:15 a.m. at hotels along the Naama Bay hotel strip. The third explosion is believed to have been left in a sack near a walkway connecting a minibus parking lot to the beach. More than 200 injuries have been reported, many of which are listed as serious to critical. Credit for the triple attack was claimed by the ‘Abdallah ‘Azzam Brigades, a group associated with Al-Qa’ida and operating in both Egypt and Syria.
3. RICE WORRIED ABOUT ‘ABBAS’S INABILITY TO CONTROL TERRORISTS AFTER ISRAEL PULLS OUT OF GAZA STRIP… U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has expressed concern that the Hamas terrorist organization will take over the Gaza Strip after the Israeli pullout. According to media reports, Rice also expressed concern that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas might lose his power altogether. Rice made her assessments as a lead-in to ask Israeli officials to allow a series of measures the Americans want on behalf of the Palestinians. They include a transfer of ammunition to Palestinian forces; permission for Egyptian military trainers to work with Palestinian troops; and unrestricted mobility for Palestinians — both between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and to foreign destiniations. Rice was critical of Israel for criticizing ‘Abbas while his security forces are clashing with terrorists.
4. ‘ABBAS COMPLAINS ISRAEL IS NOT SHARING PULLOUT DETAILS WITH THE P.A.… Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas complained to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that he’s being left out of the loop concerning Israel’s plans for pulling out from the Gaza Strip. ‘Abbas told Rice that the P.A. is willing to coordinate with Israel, but cannot do so unless it’s included in the planning. ‘Abbas reportedly told Rice that, “We need information how the disengagement will take place, when, where will it begin, what is the fate of the border crossings, what is the fate of the Palestinian airport. We’re not getting any answers.” The Israelis claim that ‘Abbas has not done enough to control terrorist organizations.
5. BUSH SENDS CONTROVERSIAL MESSAGE TO SHARON VIA RICE… U.S. President George W. Bush has sent Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a message through Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that some analysts view as controversial at best and risky for the president’s image at worst. President Bush asked Rice to note his “respect and admiration” for Sharon, saying that he knows the pullout from the Gaza Strip will “benefit Israel’s security.” One analyst for The Media Line commented that “while the decision to vacate the Gaza Strip is a distinctly political and diplomatic initiative, military analysts are by-and-large not counting security as one of its benefits. In fact, assessments such as that by former military intelligence chief General Yaakov Amidror caution that “the pullout will favor terrorist organizations and result in additional terror attacks, a fear expressed by Secretary of State Rice during her present visit to the region.” The analyst goes on to caution that President Bush’s statement to Sharon might ultimately be viewed as a reckless and uninformed assessment that “could harm the President’s image as a leader.”
6. PERES: JERUSALEM WILL BE DIVIDED; GUSH ETZION WILL REMAIN IN ISRAEL… Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres told Israel Radio on Sunday that there can be no agreement with the Palestinian Authority that does not include dividing Jerusalem and giving up parts of Hebron that remain in Israeli hands. Peres said, however, that “no one believes” that Gush Etzion, the bloc of communities south of Jerusalem in post-1967 areas, will be given up in any future agreement.
7. ISRAELI TOURISM OFFICIALS SURPRISED AT JERUSALEM’S LOWER STATUS AS TOURIST SITE FOR ISRAELIS… Officials in Israel’s Ministry of Tourism are said to be surprised that Jerusalem has fallen to the number four spot on the list of destinations most popular among Israelis. The Galilee, Israel’s northern area, is now ranked number one, followed by the Red Sea resort of Eilat and the Dead Sea. The ministry’s director general said a workshop is planned to analyze the findings of the survey. Tourism Minister Avraham Hirschson said he’s determined to return Jerusalem to its status as a top tourist destination.