Yasser Arafat ordered his police late last night to \"take all steps to enforce a ceasefire\" - but his underlings either didn\'t get the message or assumed he didn\'t really mean it. A self-described \"coalition of national and Islamic groups\" decided today that the intifada will continue; 13 organizations, including Fatah, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, were represented. Hamas and Fatah announced that they have the right to continue to \"defend themselves,\" and Hamas political leader Khaled Mash\'al said that the attacks would not stop \"until the Zionist invasion is ejected.\" Tanzim head Marwan Bargouti said today, \"The intifada and the armed resistance will continue for as long as even one settler or one soldier remains in the conquered Palestinian territories.\"



Although no attacks were registered throughout most of the day - shots were fired at residential outposts near the Shomron community of Itamar towards evening - Palestinians fired at Israeli targets on six occasions during the night and early this morning. Shots were fired at an IDF convoy west of Tul Karem, as well as at IDF outposts in Gaza near Gadid, N\'vei Dekalim, Morag, and Rafiach. In the Shomron, Arabs shot at the northern-Shomron community of Chomesh; IDF soldiers returned fire.



After the publication of the Palestinian decision, Israel announced that it would reinstate its policy of initiating military actions against terrorist leaders and infrastructures, \"in accordance with the conditions that have been created.\" The army will respond to Friday\'s suicide terrorist slaughter \"when it becomes effective to do so, and the reprisal will not be limited to the bombing of empty buildings.\" So reported Israel Radio this evening. The government had earlier said that it was allowing a \"few hours\" to see if Arafat\'s words would be backed up by actions. It is assumed that no actual military response is close to being carried out - partly because of Arafat\'s announcement, and party because there has been a mass flight of PA leaders into hiding in fear of the Israeli response.



Security measures that were taken following the weekend terrorist attack included: Strengthening of the IDF closure on Arab towns in Judea, Samaria and Gaza strip; all Palestinian workers inside Green Line Israel were ordered to return to their homes; the Allenby bridge and the Rafiach crossing, on the Jordanian and Egyptian borders, respectively, were closed; all VIP passes allowing free travel for PA seniors were canceled. Many European diplomats in PLO-controlled Gaza have left in fear of Israel\'s retaliation.



The international community is pressuring Arafat to call off the violence. UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, French President Jacques Chirac, Jordanian King Abdullah, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Arab League Secretary Amr Mussa, and other leaders have all called Arafat and demanded that he call off all Palestinian fire.