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Palestinian Minister: Authority is ready to accept and maintain a 48 hour cease-fire

Abu Zayyad in an interview with DW-TV

https://p.dw.com/p/1yYU

As reports of deadly clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians continue unabated, DW-TV in Berlin spoke to Palestinian cabinet minister, Ziyad Abu Zayyad on march 6. During the interview, Zayyad said the Palestinian Authority is ready "to do whatever we can, but we are under siege. Our forces are subjected to attacks, our security, police, everyone who is supposed to maintain the cease-fire, they are killing them."

The interview also addressed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's current mission to Washington to persuade US President George Bush to use his influence to revive efforts to bring peace through negotiations. Asked about Palestinian militant elements and Israel's refusal to talk until they are under control, Zayyad said: "Would they accept a cease-fire for at least 48 hours in order to enable us to do something? Would they accept to remove the closure which is imposed on us so we can move our forces and our policemen freely?
They are tying our hands and they have thrown us in the sea and ask us to swim."

Zayyad also called on US President Bush to tell Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that the US "does not approve of what Israel is doing".

March 6, 2002
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