Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 14 March 2018

Israeli PM avoids early elections over draft Turkish forces

encircle Kurdish

By ILAN BEN ZION mandatory military service holds 66 of the Knesset’s elections and maintain the town in Syria
Associated Press to ultra-Orthodox Jew- 120 seats. good government under
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli ish men, a divisive issue Under Tuesday’s compro- my authority,” Netanyahu By SARAH EL DEEB
Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- among Israelis. The ultra-Or- mise, the five-seat secular said in an address before SUZAN FRASER
tanyahu said Tuesday that thodox parties demanded nationalist Yisrael Beitenu parliament. “I promised Associated Press
his coalition struck a com- the government grant the party, which opposed the and I fulfilled.” BEIRUT (AP) — Turkey said
promise to avoid taking the exemptions. Rival religious bill, will be allowed to vote He thanked his coali- Tuesday its troops and al-
country to early elections. and secular parties in the against it. The bill is set to tion allies for “exhibiting lied Syrian fighters have
Netanyahu’s coalition part- government threatened to pass without the party’s responsibility so that we encircled the Kurdish-held
ners were divided over a bolt over the issue, poten- support. “I said yesterday can continue leading town of Afrin in northern
bill that would continue tially undermining Netan- that I would make a final with determination and Syria, putting hundreds
to grant exemptions from yahu’s government, which ultimate effort to prevent success.”q of thousands of civilians
under siege and marking
Palestinian PM escapes injury in Gaza bombing a significant military ad-

vance in the seven-week
operation.
By FARES AKRAM Turkey launched its assault
Associated Press on the border enclave on
JABALIYA, Gaza Strip (AP) Jan. 20 to drive out Syr-
— A roadside bomb on ian Kurdish forces that it
Tuesday struck the convoy views as “terrorists” linked
of the Palestinian prime to Kurdish rebels fighting in-
minister during a rare visit side Turkey.
to the Gaza Strip, caus- The Turkish military said the
ing no serious injuries but siege of Afrin, the main
throwing an already trou- town in the enclave of the
bled reconciliation process same name, began Mon-
between rival factions into day after the military took
deeper turmoil. control of “critical areas.”
Prime Minister Rami Ham- A passage out of Afrin re-
dallah had just arrived mained partially open, and
from his West Bank head- thousands of people have
quarters to attend a rib- reportedly fled the town,
bon-cutting ceremony for heading toward nearby
a new water-treatment areas controlled by the Syr-
plant when the bomb went Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, center left, is surrounded by body guards as he ar- ian government. Syria’s Al-
off. Although there was no rives for the opening ceremony of a long-awaited sewage plant project, east of Jebaliya, in the Ikhbariya TV showed cars,
claim of responsibility, Pal- northern Gaza strip, Tuesday, March 13, 2018. An explosion occurred as the convoy of the prime trucks and tractors loaded
estinian officials accused minister entered Gaza through the Erez crossing with Israel. The Fatah party of the prime minister with civilians driving out of
Gaza militants of trying to called the explosion an assassination attempt and blamed Gaza militants. the town.
assassinate Hamdallah. (AP Photo/Adel Hana) Panic was spreading in the
Gaza’s ruling Hamas group He said the attack under- dallah’s 20-vehicle convoy the convoy and was an- town as the Turkish forces
denied involvement. scored the need for the had entered through the other potential target of approached, and some
The blast took place at a Palestinians to unify under Israeli-controlled crossing. the blast, said it was “too civilians came under fire
time of deadlock in rec- a single authority. Hamas “I could not see anything early” to say who was re- when they tried to leave,
onciliation efforts between has ceded some govern- because smoke and dust sponsible. according to residents and
Hamdallah’s Fatah party ment functions and control filled the air. When the There is a long list of poten- Syrian Kurdish officials.
and Hamas, which has of Gaza’s borders, but it smoke cleared, the ex- tial attackers. While Hamas Azad Mohamed, a 32-year
controlled Gaza since oust- has refused calls to disarm plosion was followed by officials strenuously denied old resident, said his rela-
ing Fatah forces in 2007. It and let Palestinian Authori- heavy gunfire, apparently involvement, there are ele- tives were fired upon as
also cast a shadow over a ty security forces take over. from police securing the ments within the group that they tried to escape Mon-
special White House meet- “How can a government convoy,” said a witness, do not want to cede pow- day, forcing them to turn
ing where international do- overtake Gaza without who declined to be iden- er and oppose the rec- back.
nor nations were set to dis- maintaining security? We tified because of security onciliation process. More He said he can’t decide
cuss the dire humanitarian ask Hamas one more time concerns. “When the dust radical militants, inspired whether to risk the journey
situation in Gaza. to empower the govern- cleared, I saw people run- by the Islamic State group, out of Afrin with his two chil-
Hamdallah, a soft-spoken ment,” he said. “Without ning everywhere, and po- also operate in Gaza. dren or to remain in place.
former university dean security, there won’t be a lice were running around.” Some even suggested that “Most of the time, I swear, I
appointed by President government or an author- Two vehicles were dis- the Palestinian Authority am acting like a mad man.
Mahmoud Abbas five ity.” abled by the blast, while had staged the incident to When I sit down for two
years ago, went on to in- Hamas condemned the at least four others were shore up Hamdallah’s calls minutes, I get up again
augurate the long-await- attack, calling it a crime damaged, with windows for Hamas to disarm. and start pacing to ease
ed sewage plant project. and an attempt to “hurt ef- or sunroofs blown out. One The 2007 Hamas takeover the tension,” he told The
But he quickly returned to forts to achieve unity and had streaks of blood on left the Palestinians with Associated Press in a series
the West Bank, where he reconciliation.” It promised the door. Hamdallah said two rival governments, of text messages.
vowed to press ahead with an “urgent” investigation. six bodyguards required Hamas in Gaza and the “Every time I remember
reconciliation efforts. Witnesses said the bomb medical attention. Western-backed Palestin- they (Turkish forces) are
“This will not deter from was planted under an In the West Bank, Abbas ian Authority governing closer, I think of my wife
seeking to end the bitter electric pole on Gaza’s blamed Hamas for the autonomous enclaves in and kids and parents. I am
split. We will still come to main north-south road and blast. But his security chief, the Israeli-occupied West afraid and I feel like there is
Gaza,” he said. went off shortly after Ham- Majed Farraj, who was in Bank.q a volcano in my belly.” q