Mideast violence flares despite cease-fires

A Palestinian gunman aims toward Israeli soldiers in Rafah, Gaza, on Monday

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Heavy exchanges of gunfire on Monday between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers at Rafah in southern Gaza threatened to break fragile cease-fires declared by each side.

At least 18 Palestinians were injured, two of them seriously, Palestinian hospital officials said. Israeli officials said three Israeli soldiers were lightly injured.

Each side blamed the other for the continuing violence.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat accused the Israelis of provoking Monday's incident.

"What is happening in Rafah now, Israeli tanks tried to penetrate into Palestinian areas, areas under Palestinian control, and if the Israelis are waiting or creating an excuse to have the whole process of reconciliation collapse, I think they are doing a damn good job," Erakat told CNN.

VIDEO CNN's Jerrold Kessel reviews the pressure Arafat is under (June 4) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     CNN ACCESS Dennis Ross: Arafat 'has to do it now'    AUDIO CNN's Ben Wedeman: Heavy gunfire in Rafah 770K/71 sec. AIFF or WAV sound     ALSO U.S. ponders next move in Mideast; Burns stays in region

Ra'anan Gissin, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, did not directly respond to Erakat's accusations, but told CNN that so far the Palestinian efforts to stop the violence had been "insufficient."

Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, under tremendous diplomatic pressure, declared a cease-fire after a suicide bomber set off a blast at a Tel Aviv nightclub, killing himself and 20 Israelis.

Israel also declared a cease-fire, and overnight the level of violence diminished. In addition, Israel, so far, has not retaliated for Friday's suicide bombing.

But Gissin said that Israel's demand is "a complete cessation of hostilities and that has not happened." He said Arafat was apparently attempting to "gain some tactical victory but really not implement the cease-fire."

Erakat, however, said that "Arafat and the Palestinian Authority are exerting maximum effort in order to have the situation calm."

"But whatever we do, whatever we say, whatever will be done by us on the ground, in any sphere, the Israelis will say it is not enough," he said. "Whatever the Israelis do, we will say it's not enough. We are not communicating with each other. The trust level between us is below zero."

What is needed, Erakat said, is that the United States, the European Union and the United Nations create "a monitoring system so they can tell the Israelis what the Palestinians are doing and what they are not doing."

Gissin said that the arrival of U.S. CIA Director George Tenet and new meetings of Israeli and Palestinian security officials offered some hope that the situation would improve.