JERUSALEM, Jan 17: The Israeli army's chief of staff Gen Moshe Yaalon has given orders to plan for a large-scale ground operation in the Gaza Strip unless the Palestinian Authority puts a rapid end to attacks by militants, army radio said on Monday.
Gen Yaalon gave the orders to Gen Dan Harel, commander of the southern region which includes the Gaza Strip, the radio reported while stressing that there was no suggestion of the plan being put into action for the moment.
Israel has been putting massive pressure on the Palestinian Authority to prevent attacks since six Israelis were killed at the Karni border crossing on Thursday in an operation claimed by three armed factions.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon gave his top brass carte blanche on Sunday to put an end to the attacks from Gaza. Twelve Palestinians have been killed since Sunday by Israeli troops operating in Gaza.
ABBAS DIRECTIVE: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered security forces on Monday to prevent all attacks on Israel by militants who have defied his calls for calm.
"Abu Mazen (Abbas) and the cabinet gave clear instructions to the security chiefs to prevent all kinds of violence, including attacks against Israel," minister Qadoura Fares said. But the hardline Hamas group, warning there could be clashes with Palestinian forces, ruled out any halt to attacks before an end to Israeli aggression.
Israel described the measure as a "small step", but said Mr Abbas must at least deploy forces to stop rocket fire from Gaza for the Jewish state to restore ties cut last week after an assault on a border crossing that killed six Israelis.
Raanan Gissin said that could also allow the resumption of security contacts between Israel and the Palestinians. "The alternative is to have rule of warlords, of gang leaders, and I don't think this is what Abu Mazen envisions as the future for the Palestinian people," he said.
Officials said there was no exception for attacks on troops or settlers in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei said violators "will be punished".
Israel has made halting Palestinian attacks a condition for talks, and bloodshed in Gaza has weighed on optimism for resolving decades of conflict after Mahmoud Abbas succeeded the late Yasser Arafat with a call to stop armed struggle.
Palestinian officials gave no firm details on how attacks would be stopped. Security forces have been weakened by Israeli raids during four years of violence. Some members have close ties to militants, seen as heroes by many Palestinians.
"This will not resolve the problem but it could cause a Palestinian-Palestinian problem," said senior Islamic Jihad leader Nafez Azzam, adding that neither the factions nor the security agencies wanted to clash.
"We hope things will be solved through dialogue," he said. Mr Abbas is due to visit Gaza on Tuesday to begin a new attempt to win over militants to a truce that could strengthen prospects for talks on Palestinian statehood on land captured by Israel in the 1967 war. -Reuters
