Israel's leaders planned on Friday to approve tougher restrictions on the Palestinians, in a bid to weaken Hamas as it assumes control of parliament and starts to form a government, Israeli officials said.

 

Under a plan expected to be adopted by Israeli interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinians would be barred from working in Israel or travelling across Israel between Gaza and the West Bank after a Hamas-led parliament is sworn in on Saturday.

 

Olmert was expected to order a halt to further tax revenue transfers to the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority to pressure Hamas, winner of the January 25 Palestinian election, to renounce violence, recognise the Jewish state and abide by interim peace deals.

 

The new restrictions would start to take effect on Sunday after a meeting of Olmert's cabinet, political sources said.

 

"What's important is that the Palestinians realize the consequences of their vote," said a senior Israeli source, speaking on condition of anonymity because Olmert has yet to announce his decision.

 

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the Islamic militant group's supporters would weather what he called Israel's "policies of oppression and collective punishment."

 

Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said Hamas had started reaching out to Iran, seeking funding and guidance in how to run the Palestinian Authority.

 

Ahead of the decision, a US State Department official cautioned Israel to take into account "the consequences of any move, especially with an eye to avoiding increasing any hardship for Palestinians."

 

Gideon Meir, a deputy director-general of Israel's Foreign Ministry, said Israel had no intention of making Palestinian people's lives "miserable."

 

"Our intention is to make it clear that Israel will not be dealing with a terrorist organization called Hamas," Meir said.

 

Hamas has masterminded nearly 60 suicide bombings against Israelis since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000, but has largely adhered to a truce declared in March last year.

 

Despite the expected clampdown on a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, Israel wants to maintain ties with President Mahmoud Abbas, who will ask Hamas on Saturday to form a government that will respect peace deals with Israel and put a stop to violence.

 

"We need to hurt Hamas but not hurt the Palestinian people or the Palestinian president," veteran Israeli statesman Shimon Peres told Army Radio.

 

Russia's weapon supply

 

Meanwhile, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Friday Moscow would supply military hardware to the Palestinian Authority only if Israel agreed.

 

Plans to sell the Palestinian Authority 50 armored personnel carriers (APCs) have been put on hold since last September.

 

But Russian Armed Forces chief-of-staff General Yuri Baluyevsky said on Thursday that the plan could be revived if a visit by leaders of the Islamist Hamas group to Moscow planned for early March went well.

 

"Supplies of military hardware to Palestine can only be carried out with Israel's consent and through its territory," Ivanov said in televised comments.

 

Last year the Palestinian Authority sought to buy Russian hardware, but no definite deal was reached. Diplomats said Russia had since shelved the idea after Middle East peace brokers told Moscow it could harm efforts to stabilize the area.

 

Israel supported the Russian decision.

 

"We welcome the Russian statement that they are re-evaluating and they expect to continue any such future co-operation also in co-ordination with us," Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said.

 

Ivanov's remarks were clearly meant to downplay Baluyevsky's suggestions. "The consideration of the issue is at a preliminary stage," the defense minister said.

 

Russian officials have said the invitation to Hamas leaders was aimed at encouraging the group, branded a terrorist organization by the West, to stick to peace commitments made by the previous Palestinian administration.

 

They have said Moscow would convey to Hamas the demands of the quartet of Middle East mediators, which also includes the United States, European Union and the United Nations, to recognise Israel and stop armed attacks against Israelis.

 

(China Daily February 18, 2006)