Withdrawal Start Of Palestine Liberation: Abbas

Abbas: Withdrawal is the Beginning of liberating the Rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories

GAZA, Palestine, August 16, 2005 (IPC)-- President Mahmoud Abbas deemed the Israeli withdrawal as the beginning of liberating all the Palestinian territories which were occupied in 1967, and he welcomed the Palestinian people, factions and the security apparatuses for wonderful achievement which embodies the high sense of the national responsibility.

Mr. Abbas, in the beginning of the meeting of the PLO Executive Committee that has been convened toady in his presidential premises, greeted the Palestinians in this historical day in which the settlements are no more existing.

The Executive Committee listened to several reports on the security situation, and on the truce observation. And they called the Palestinians for practicing self-restrain and showing commitment at its highest level, so as not to give the Israeli occupation any pretext of holding up the evacuation.

The committee hailed the agreement which it reached with the Observation Committee of forming a mutual committee to watch the jobs of the ministries and the bodies which will supervise the facilities and the utilities in the liberated areas.

The Executive Committee called for throwing national celebrations in which all the Palestinian factions, bodies and committees are supposed to take part. These celebrations should reflect the civilized and humanitarian face of the Palestinians "the Executive Committee said".

President Abbas stated, during the meeting, that he ratified the legislative election law, which will be declared right after it is published in the official newspapers.

As for the municipal election, the Executive Committee hailed approbating the full quota of this election which will take place on three stages within the scheduled time decided by the local election committee, starting from 29/ 9/ 2005 .

The Executive Committee stressed that the public utilities and facilities, in the north of the West Bank, and Gaza Strip are restricted to the benefit of the public.

The Executive Committee decided on going ahead with its meetings throughout the pullout period in an effort to boost the national unity in this historical event.

The Executive Committee thanked all the Arab states which boosted the Palestinian endurance and struggle throughout long decades in an effort to remove the yoke of occupation from the Palestinians' necks. And Mr. Abbas thanked, in particular, the Egyptian President for the key role which his country played in backing up the Palestinian people and their security systems.

The Committee also, cited the role of Mr. Jims Larsson, the representative of the quartet committee, as a cause of propping up the Palestinian economy. And it cited as well role of the general Ward in coordinating between both the Palestinian side and the Israeli side.

The Executive Committee cast light on the obscurity which encircles the four issues of "the passages, the airport, the seaport and the safe passage", stressing that an agreement on these four issues should be reached with the Israeli side without delaying or procrastination.

As for the northern areas of the West Bank, "the Executive Committee said that these areas should be governed by the Palestinian national authority, or else, the Israeli withdrawal will be meaningless.

In this regard, the Executive Committee stressed the need of an American intervention to put an end to the Israel procrastination concerning the withdrawal from the northern areas of the West Bank.

The Committee looked into the papers connected with the national Committee of the Liberated Lands Affairs which were handed in by the Islamic Jihad, and then the E.C handed them over to the Observation Committee in order to be studied.

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