Several projects announced Wednesday by the Palestinian Authority (PA) are in direct opposition to the Sharon government's proclamations that it will not allow a road linking Judea and Samaria to Gaza, operation of an airport and an international force along the border with Egypt.
PA prime minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) announced Wednesday plans for a new road, although Israel has said it will allow only a non-stop rail link and an underground road between Gaza and Judea and Samaria.
Israel has said it agrees to operation of a seaport in Gaza but is not prepared to permit the reopening of the Gaza airport, which the IDF bombed after the outbreak of the five-year-old Oslo war. Mohamed Dahlan, a PA minister who is regarded as the de facto PA leader in Gaza, stated that the PA is going ahead with efforts to establish the airport. Abu Ala said he has raised the issue with the Quartet (United States, European Union, Russia and United Nations).
Abu Ala also stated that its security forces will cooperate with Egypt and a third-party, presumably the European Union, to deal with customs and prevention of smuggling across the international border. Israel has objected to an international force in the area.
Abu Ala also announced that the PA will take full control of all of Gaza after the planned IDF withdrawal. He contradicted previous statements by PA chairman Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) that 5,000 additional PA policemen would move from Judea and Samaria to Gaza. Abu Ala maintained that there already are about 5,000 PA police in Gaza who have been trained to maintain order and that additional forces are not needed.
"We have prepared the necessary forces to deal with the disengagement. The withdrawal must succeed so that it could be the fist step toward liberating the West Bank and Jerusalem," according to Qureia.
The PA also announced that it is setting up special courts to decide the ownership of the 21 Jewish towns that Israel is abandoning. Abu Ala said the PA would take control of the towns as well as the former Erez industrial area, which it wants to reestablish. "There is no problem in allowing Israeli investment in the industrial area, but they will be subject to the laws of the PA," he said.
One sign of PA intentions of exercising power came on Wednesday with the execution of a 32-year-old man convicted of murder and theft in 2001. Abu Mazen approved the execution despite criticism by human rights groups.
PA prime minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) announced Wednesday plans for a new road, although Israel has said it will allow only a non-stop rail link and an underground road between Gaza and Judea and Samaria.
Israel has said it agrees to operation of a seaport in Gaza but is not prepared to permit the reopening of the Gaza airport, which the IDF bombed after the outbreak of the five-year-old Oslo war. Mohamed Dahlan, a PA minister who is regarded as the de facto PA leader in Gaza, stated that the PA is going ahead with efforts to establish the airport. Abu Ala said he has raised the issue with the Quartet (United States, European Union, Russia and United Nations).
Abu Ala also stated that its security forces will cooperate with Egypt and a third-party, presumably the European Union, to deal with customs and prevention of smuggling across the international border. Israel has objected to an international force in the area.
Abu Ala also announced that the PA will take full control of all of Gaza after the planned IDF withdrawal. He contradicted previous statements by PA chairman Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) that 5,000 additional PA policemen would move from Judea and Samaria to Gaza. Abu Ala maintained that there already are about 5,000 PA police in Gaza who have been trained to maintain order and that additional forces are not needed.
"We have prepared the necessary forces to deal with the disengagement. The withdrawal must succeed so that it could be the fist step toward liberating the West Bank and Jerusalem," according to Qureia.
The PA also announced that it is setting up special courts to decide the ownership of the 21 Jewish towns that Israel is abandoning. Abu Ala said the PA would take control of the towns as well as the former Erez industrial area, which it wants to reestablish. "There is no problem in allowing Israeli investment in the industrial area, but they will be subject to the laws of the PA," he said.
One sign of PA intentions of exercising power came on Wednesday with the execution of a 32-year-old man convicted of murder and theft in 2001. Abu Mazen approved the execution despite criticism by human rights groups.