Israel Raids West Bank City, Angers Fatah
Israeli troops raided downtown Nablus early Thursday, imposing a curfew that confined tens of thousands of people to their homes as soldiers combed the city's narrow alleyways in search of wanted Palestinian militants. Five soldiers were wounded in clashes with Palestinian gunmen, the army said.
The crackdown drew angry condemnations from the new Palestinian government of President Mahmoud Abbas. Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised to bolster Abbas' government, which is locked in a power struggle with the Islamic Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip.
"We view this aggression as a way to undermine our efforts to provide security and end the chaos," Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said at a conference in the West Bank town of Ramallah.
Soldiers clashed with gunmen from the Fatah faction of U.S.-backed Abbas. CBS News correspondent Robert Berger reports the raids are a sign that Israel's military won't ease up on Fatah, despite the government's support for Abbas' struggle against Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.
The operation began late Wednesday, just as Israel was wrapping up two incursions in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. In those raids, Israeli forces killed 11 Palestinians, including eight gunmen and a 12-year-old boy. It was the bloodiest fighting in Gaza since the Hamas takeover two weeks ago.
Israel has frequently raided Nablus in six years of fighting. In a statement Thursday, the army described the city as a "major terror hub" home to two-thirds of the 187 would-be suicide bombers that troops nabbed last year.
The army said Thursday's operation was meant to "disrupt the terror activity in Nablus."
In what has become a routine procedure, the army interrupted broadcasts on the city's radio and TV stations as the raids began, telling residents not to go outside.
Five soldiers were wounded by bombs as they moved from home to home through the densely populated Old City, the army said. Militants linked to Abbas' Fatah movement claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Olmert's spokeswoman, Miri Eisin, said the Israeli government is committed to working with Abbas, but would not risk the safety of its own citizens.
"Israel will always fight terror," she said. "We will go forward with full strength to strengthen Abbas, and full strength to stop the terror," she said.
The swift victory of Hamas forces over Fatah in Gaza has left the Palestinians divided into two political entities: the West Bank, governed by Fatah, and Hamas-controlled Gaza.
This week, Abbas announced that he would disarm all militants in the West Bank, even those who are loyal to Fatah. But it is unclear how the weakened Abbas would enforce the order. He has made similar pledges in the past that were never carried out.
Reflecting that challenge, a prominent Fatah militant in the West Bank town of Jenin told The Associated Press that while he supported Abbas' decree, his men would not lay down their arms because they were needed to fight Israel.
The alleged rape victim and women's rights groups described the plea bargain as outrageous, reports Berger.
The plea deal was widely seen as a victory for the Israeli president, who holds a largely ceremonial post but is expected to set moral standards and help unify the country in times of trouble.
The announcement by Attorney General Meni Mazuz abruptly ended a case that captured the public's attention, painting Katsav as a boss who repeatedly took advantage of his female employees.
In the space of a year, Katsav sank from being "Israel's No. 1 citizen to a convicted sex offender," Mazuz told a news conference.
Katsav is one of several high-level officials — including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert — who recently have been implicated in
scandals.
The president, whose seven-year term was due to end next month, planned to formally resign later Thursday, said spokesman Ronen Tzur. Katsav suspended himself in January to fight the charges.
Katsav, who had always proclaimed his innocence, agreed to the plea bargain "after the smear campaign of the past year, and in order to spare his family the pain" of a prolonged legal process, Tzur said.
The deal also marked a dramatic reversal by the attorney general, who announced plans in January to indict Katsav for graver charges of rape and sexual misconduct.
Instead, Katsav will plead guilty to sexual harassment, indecent acts and harassing a witness, Mazuz said. He also will pay damages to plaintiffs and receive a suspended sentence.