Arrest of Two Palestinian Extremists - 2002-08-28

A Palestinian militant group reports that Israeli forces have arrested two political leaders of the group during an operation in the city of Ramallah on the West Bank. According to sources in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Israelis have detained the spokesperson of the group and another member of its central committee. At least one other member of the group was also arrested during the operation on Tuesday. The arrests occurred on the first anniversary of an incident in which Israeli forces killed Abu Ali Mustafa, the leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, in a helicopter missile attack in Ramallah. Meanwhile, Abdul Razak Yahya, the Minister of Interior of the Palestinian Authority, stated that he will meet with Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer today. He added that the focus of the discussions will be the so-called security agreement 'First Gaza and Bethlehem'. This agreement calls for Israel to withdraw from Palestinian cities that it has recently reoccupied, allowing the Palestinian Authority to take control of the evacuated areas and prevent militant attacks on Israelis. Since Israeli forces left Bethlehem last week, Israel has not withdrawn from other areas, and Palestinians report that Israeli forces have entered the southern part of Gaza City in the late hours of Tuesday night.