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Spate of kidnappings destabalise Gaza

Palestine PM resigns; state of emergency declared

Agencies, (to aty
The Palestinian government called a state of emergency yesterday and summoned the cabinet for an urgent meeting as the Gaza Strip slid into chaos, after gunmen kidnapped two security officials and four French volunteers.
The wave of abductions prompted Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei and two
senior security officials in the Palestinian Authority to tender their resignations, although the resignations were rejected by Palestinian leaderYasser Arafat.
Hie four French citizens, who were working on an electrical project in the soutitem city of Khan Younis, were later released unharmed. The gunmen said they acted to draw world attention to Palestinian suffering caused by
Israel's occupation.
The rapid Series of developments reflected the growing tension by militant groups and individuals seeking to strengthen their positions before Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon fulfills his pledge to withdraw Israeli forces and some 7,500 settlersfromGazalatencxtyear.
The events also represented a serious challenge to the Palestinian
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leadership, including Yasser Arafat, who has been criticised by militants for blocking reform and turning a blind eye to corruption.
The crisis appeared to be racing toward a breaking point, with one Palestinian official predicting the government meeting could be the last for Ahmed Qureia's government. A security panel headed by Arafat declared the state of emergency after midnight.
The French Foreign Ministry said the French citizens had been in Gaza for several days working on an electricity project set up by an association of Evry-Palestine. Evry is a poor suburb of Paris largely inhabited by Middle Eastern immigrants.
The four were kidnapped while drinking coffee at a cafe in Khan Younis and held them at the offices of the Red Crescent Society there.
Arafat bowed to international pressure yesterday, cutting the eight separate security services to three after a spate of kidnappings in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Palestinian police chief General Ghazi Jabali, who was kidnapped for four hours Friday by dissident militants accusing him of corruption, has been replaced, General Saed Elajez announced, saying he was the successor.
PALESTINIAN PM RESIGNS "Qorei submitted his resignation, but Arafat told him to withdraw it when he announced his revamp of the security services," an MP who is close to Qorei said.
The two Palestinian security officials who offered to resign were the head of the Palestinian intelligence service, Maj Gen Amin al Hindi, and the head of Preventive Security in the Gaza Strip, Rashid Abu Shbak -- both well known figures in the Palestinian hierarchy.
A Palestinian official said the Palestinian government would meet early Saturday to discuss the resignations, and the situation in Gaza. Thal official said it could be Qureia's last meeting.
The apparent challenge to Qureia comes as Arafat attempts to
fend off criticism from some Palestinian officials, unhappy about the pace of government reform and the persistence of corruption in the PalestinianiVuthorily
Qureia replaced Mahmoud Abbas in September 2003, but for most of his time in office has languished in Arafat's shadow. Abbas resigned after four months complaining he was hamstrung by Arafat.
The spate of Gaza kidnappings began around midday Friday when gunmen abducted Palestinian Chief of Police Ghazi Jabali after attacking his vehicle in a highway ambush, wounding two of his bodyguards.