ABBAS WANTS UN FORCE IN GAZA

Abbas Wants UN Force To Defend Palestinians
August 31, 2006 5:21 p.m. ESTRyan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent

Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - A new Palestinian unity government proposal would call for the deployment of international peacekeepers in the West Bank and Gaza to act as a buffer between the Palestinians and Israel. According to Ha'aretz, PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas wrote in a document detailing the proposal that the requested UN force should be modeled after the one currently being deployed in southern Lebanon, with a full mandate to militarily defend the Palestinians against what he refers to as Israeli aggression.

He also wants the force to be tasked with tearing down those parts of Israel's security fence that veer from the Green Line that separates sovereign Israel from the West Bank. The document was published in the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam Thursday.

Abbas said he would soon present the unity proposal to Hamas and Islamic Jihad and give them one week to respond. But it was far from certain Hamas would accept the proposal, which would also obligate the terror group to recognize all peace agreements signed with Israel over the past decade. It would also allow Abbas to preside over all government meetings, despite the fact his own Fatah faction is now a minority in the Palestinian parliament. The ruling Hamas, which swept to victory in January's election, has demanded Abbas recognize the will of the people and allow it to govern without interference.