Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said today Israeli bombing in the West Bank and Gaza Strip was the start of a 100-day military campaign against Palestinians.
His comments came as three Palestinian were reportedly shot dead by Israeli troops in the in Gaza Strip.
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Palestinian President Yasser Arafat
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"This is an escalation . . . an escalation for the next 100 days that has been described as a military plan by Israeli Chief of Staff General Mofaz," Mr Arafat claimed in Amman.
Prseident Arafat, in the Jordanian capital to attend an Arab summit which ended last night, repeated Palestinian accusations that Israel had divided the West Bank and Gaza into cantons as part of a plan to tighten its grip on Palestinian-ruled areas.
He said a US veto on Tuesday to halt a UN Security Council resolution on sending unarmed observers to Palestinian territories had encouraged Israel to step up its attacks.
"What do they want to say more than that after they had been encouraged by the veto used by the United States?" President Arafat said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's description of him as a leader of terror.
Mr Sharon hascalled the Arafat an obstacle to peace.
Mr Arafat’s claims were made today as Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinian teenagers near the Erez crossing in the Gaza Strip during a clash with protesters who hurled stones and petrol bombs, Palestinian witnesses said.