Israeli forces arrest Mustafa Barghouti in Jerusalem

1/7/2005 3:00:00 PM GMT

Israeli security forces arrested Palestinian presidential candidate Mustafa Barghouti in occupied Jerusalem, Israeli sources said on Friday.

Palestinian sources said that Barghouti, an independent candidate in the Palestinian elections, was arrested in occupied east Jerusalem as he was on his way to Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque.

A spokesman for the Israeli police, Shmulik Ben Ruby, confirmed that Mustafa was arrested and claimed that he violated an agreement by trying to enter the compound.

“He is not allowed to go to Al-Aqsa and he knows it. The Al-Aqsa mosque is a place to pray and not for propaganda," Ruby said.

Earlier in Jerusalem, Mustafa Barghouti announced during a press conference that he is willing to perform Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa mosque in east Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam.

"You are arresting a presidential candidate who has a permit to be in east Jerusalem," Barghuti said while he was being dragged by two Israeli security men in civilian clothes.

Opinion surveys show that Barghouti is the main rival to the PLO chairman Mahmood Abbas in the Palestinian presidential elections, planned for January 9 to elect a successor to the late leader Yasser Arafat.

Abbas, the official candidate of the ruling Fatah party, cancelled a planned visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque to avoid being arrested by the Israeli security services.

On Thursday, Israeli occupation forces prevented Mustafa Barghouti from crossing the Erez terminal to enter the West Bank for a final bout of campaigning. Barghouti denounced these actions, saying that they affect the fairness and the legitimacy of Sunday’s elections.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon promised to stop all military operations in the Palestinian territories to secure the voting process. Also, the Israeli army pledged to allow candidates move freely between the West Bank and the Gaza trip.

Israeli forces kill Palestinian civilian in Gaza

Meanwhile, Israeli Radio reported that Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian civilian near the Jewish settlement of Gosh Katif in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli army confirmed the incident, claiming that the man was suspected of trying to infiltrate the settlement.

Elsewhere, Palestinian fighters fired rockets and mortars at Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip and the Negev Desert.

The radio reported that one rocket landed in a Gaza settlement, destroying one house but causing no injuries.