,

Israeli Occupation Government to Shun Contacts with Mayors Who Won Elections as Hamas Candidates

GAZA, Palestine, April13, 2005 (IPC+Agencies) ---

Israeli sources said that the Israeli occupation authority is intended to refrain a direct contact with the presidents of the local authorities in Gaza Strip who mainly are representatives of Hamas.

The issue raised in concern recently during the debates in the Israeli occupation operation command in the occupied Palestinian territories in the light of the number of mayoral and municipal council posts in December's elections in the Strip and the West Bank.

According to the occupation liaison in the occupied territories civil matters in municipalities whose mayors are affiliated with Hamas will be dealt with through the Palestinian Authority and the local authority.

The landslide victory of Hamas raised a dilemma for Israeli occupation authoritiesl: how should communication be handled with cities headed by Hamas mayors including Beit Lahia, north the Strip.

At a time Israeli sources said no need to punish the Palestinians residents because of the affiliation of their mayor, other sources in Israeli military defines the political arm of Hamas as a terror organization.

The sources added that the Israeli occupation liaison officers in the occupied Palestinian territories are to bring this issue for further discussions and instructed the officers of the civil administrations to avoid direct communication with mayors there who are connected with Hamas and any contact will come through the Palestinian National Authority.

On a related development, Jamal Al Shoubaki, chief of the higher committee of the local elections asserted on Tuesday that the executive bureau of the committee will finish next Thursday the training of 80 trainees who will be responsible of giving instructions and guides for the team monitoring the local election that is expected to carry out in 5th May.