Palestinians angry at security overhaul

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Arafat met his prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, about the political crisis that erupted over the continuing violence in Gaza and Qureia's attempt to resign as head of the Palestinian government.

"I totally reject your resignation and consider it nonexistent," Arafat told Qureia at a meeting Sunday, according to Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat. Qureia told his Cabinet on Saturday he was firm in his decision to quit.

Dozens of militants belonging to an extreme offshoot of Arafat's Fatah movement stormed an office building in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis shortly after midnight to protest Arafat's appointment of his cousin, Moussa Arafat, as chief of security.

One security guard was wounded in a gunbattle with the militants, who seized control of the building, stole weapons, and set fire to two offices and several cars parked nearby, witnesses and officials said.

Moussa Arafat's appointment was part of Yasser Arafat's reforms to his security forces, as demanded in the "road map" peace plan sponsored by the United States and supported by Egypt.

However, members of Arafat's own Fatah movement were furious, saying Moussa Arafat symbolizes the corruption and cronyism of the Palestinian Authority.

Dissatisfaction with Arafat's reforms spread throughout the Palestinian territories, though violence was confined to the Gaza Strip.

"Arafat now is at a crossroads. Either he makes a revolution inside his authority or the Palestinian people will make a revolution against him, said Ahmed Jamous, a student at Ramallah's Bir Zeit University.

"The people want elections and good government, not to be ruled by a group of corrupt thieves," Jamous added.

In Gaza late Saturday, an estimated 2,000 protesters many of them armed marched to the Palestinian Legislative Council building. Referring to Arafat, they chanted: "Listen, listen Abu Amr, we don't agree with your decisions and we don't agree with the appointments."

Reuters adds: Israeli opposition leader Shimon Peres called for an accelerated withdrawal from the Gaza Strip at talks yesterday with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on joining his government, political sources said.

They said Sharon, who seeks to bolster a coalition shaken by far-right rejection of his plan to pull soldiers and settlers out of Gaza by the end of 2005, ducked agreeing to a new timetable at the meeting with Peres.

The issue will be discussed during formal negotiations due to open later in the day between Sharon's right-wing Likud and Peres's center-left Labour Party, the sources said.