AL QUDS, July 18: Israel is to freeze new measures to free up trade and industry restrictions on the Palestinians after Wednesday’s double suicide attack in Tel Aviv, a defence ministry statement said.

“In the wake of this evening’s attack, Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer has ordered, for the meantime, the freezing of the alleviation measures that were authorised today (Wednesday) in the sphere of trade and industry for the Palestinian population,” the statement said.

“Israel is striving to ease the conditions as much as possible for the broader Palestinian population but the Palestinian terror is continuing to perpetuate the suffering (of the population),” it said.

The statement did not spell out exactly what measures had been approved or who had authorised them earlier in the day.

But government spokesman Avi Pazner hammered home the message that there was now no question of Israel easing conditions for the Palestinians.

“Over the last few days, there was a lot of talk about us alleviating the situation of the Palestinians... who live in very harsh surroundings,” he said. “Now, we will not be able to do that.”

On Tuesday, Israel’s biggest-selling daily said the defence minister had thrashed out a plan for the phased easing of restrictions on the Palestinians territories in return for an end to attacks against Israel.

“The Gaza Strip will be a test for the Palestinians,” Yediot Aharanot quoted Ben Eliezer as saying, adding that if the plan was successful it would be applied to areas in the West Bank.

Ben Eliezer told the daily he had discussed the plan with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Alexandria on Monday and secured a promise of Cairo’s help by working “towards eradicating terrorism in the Gaza Strip.”—AFP