Hamas, Fatah cease-fire begins

A wounded Palestinian youth is carried to an ambulance Monday after a gun battle at Rafah

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- A cease-fire called by the Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah began Tuesday, but came with the promise of renewed attacks if Israel does not observe one as well.

Hamas field military commanders, along with Fatah's military wing, released a statement Monday saying they will not carry out attacks in Israel if Israeli forces stop targeting Palestinians, but warned of a harsher-than-ever response if Israel did not do so.

"This is on the condition that Israel will not attack Palestinian targets, stop threatening Palestinians ... (and) stop assassinating Palestinian leaders," the statement said.

If not, it added, "Militants will then strike back ... and then no Zionist will be safe at this house ... and even residential targets ... which we haven't attacked so far, will be a target for us."

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

Ra'anan Gissin, a senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said so far that Palestinian peace efforts had been "insufficient."

The Palestinian statement appeared to be in response to Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's declaration of a cease-fire, which followed a similar declaration by Israel.

The cease-fire was strained Monday by heavy exchanges of gunfire between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers at Rafah in southern Gaza. At least 18 Palestinians were injured, two of them seriously, Palestinian hospital officials said. Three Israeli soldiers were slightly injured.

Hamas and Fatah said they were suspending attacks to give the Israeli people a chance to ask their government to stop attacking Palestinian targets.

"This is a message to the Israeli people ... if they don't move during this time ... then we are not committed to the above," the statement said.

It added that the groups' operations "in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem" will continue "since the Israeli tanks are still on our land and a threat to us."

The statement appeared to mark a shift from a statement released earlier by 13 Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, saying the intifada should continue.

Both blame the other

The Israelis and Palestinians blamed each other for Monday's continuing violence. Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat accused the Israelis of provoking the 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," he said.

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

Gissin declined to comment directly on the action at Rafah, but said Israel needs "a complete cessation of hostilities, and that has not happened." He accused Arafat of apparently attempting to "gain some tactical victory but really not implement the cease-fire."

Powell secures assurances

However, Gissin said that with the arrival of U.S. CIA Director George Tenet and new meetings of Israeli and Palestinian security officials, the situation might improve.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell called both Arafat and Sharon on Monday, said senior State Department officials in Washington.

One official said the reason for the calls was to "secure assurances" that senior security officials from both sides would attend a Tenet-led meeting, and that Israel would allow movement of Palestinian officials into Israel for such talks. The official said both sides "indicated a willingness" for a Tenet visit.

Arafat, under tremendous diplomatic pressure, declared the cease-fire after a suicide bomber set off a blast at a Tel Aviv night club, killing himself and 20 Israelis. Israel so far has not retaliated for that bombing.

Nabil Sha'ath, a member of the Palestinian cabinet, said Arafat was doing all he could to make the cease-fire work.

"He has not only declared a cease-fire that is unconditional and immediate and effective, but he has really, in the last 48 hours, done everything possible to make it stick by bringing all his military leaders together, making instructions; by redeploying whatever he can, short of moving people, because the Israelis are still making it impossible for his forces to move from one place to the other. He is really doing his best," Sha'ath said.

'The situation is not simple'

In Jerusalem, Sharon said he is giving diplomacy a chance and expressed the hope that the deadliest attack by Palestinians against Israeli targets in eight months may produce a lasting cease-fire.

"The situation is not simple," said Sharon. "You have to see the whole picture. That responsibility is on my shoulders. I want to tell you restraint is an element of strength."

After visiting young Israelis wounded in the bombing, Sharon said that Israel expects the Palestinians not only to stop shooting but to stop incitement in the Palestinian media and to re-arrest terrorists.

The Palestinians were complaining that Israel's closure of the Palestinian territories was hampering their efforts to arrest militants.

But Gissin said Israel had received intelligence information that more bomb attacks were being planned. He said the closures were only a "reasonable precaution."