The Israel Defense Forces Hebron area commander Col. Noam Tivon said on Thursday that the Palestinian Authority is encouraging children to participate in clashes with the IDF by offering their families $300 per injury and $2,000 per child killed, HAARETZ ON-LINE reported.

Tivon noted that Palestinians push their children to the forefront of clashes and that the main goal of the Tanzim, Fatah’s paramilitary youth group, is to continue attacks with the goal of killing soldiers and settlers.

According to Israel Radio, KOL YISRAEL, Tivon met with his Palestinian counterpart on Thursday morning after a night of particularly intense fighting with armed Tanzim and Palestinian policemen. “It is about time that the public understand that the Tanzim are directly linked to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat—he is the only one that can control the situation,” Tivon said. Tivon added that it was up to Arafat to issue clear orders to his security forces and armed Fatah activists to stop the violence. Tivon stated, “from the numerous meetings I have conducted over the past week with Palestinian preventive security officials, it is clear they have no control over the situation or the Tanzim. It’s a game—one hand operates the Tanzim, the bad guys, and the other hand the security services. But both hands are held up by the same body and head. The Palestinian security officials are fully aware that they have no control and are facing a difficult situation, but without a doubt everything is orchestrated by Arafat,”Tivon said.

Tivon emphasized that Israeli soldiers have acted with the utmost restraint and have not initiated any shooting attacks or violence.

Palestinians swarm onto Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus before pillaging and burning the site. (AP)

Meanwhile, according to HA’ARETZ, the PA has released dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists over the past several days. Most of the activists were released in Gaza and are members of their organizations’ military wings, suspected of involvement in planning and executing attacks against Israelis. The IDF is concerned that the released prisoners will contribute to the violence currently under way in the territories. Chief of Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yitzhak Eitan said that “the term ‘revolving door’ is no longer appropriate to describe the situation. The door has already collapsed and has been pulled off its hinges.”

Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami appointed Ministry of Science, Culture and Sport Director General Nahman Shai on Friday to coordinate information and media activities between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Israel Defense Forces, the police and the coordinator of activities in the West Bank and Gaza, HA’ARETZ ON-LINE reported. Shai served as IDF spokesman during the 1991 Gulf War. His new nomination was approved by Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

AFTER Israeli Defense Forces have left Lebanon,
Israeli border terrorist attacks and kidnappings still take place!