Palestinians arrest would-be suicide bomber

12.15pm

GAZA - Palestinian security forces arrested an 18-year-old woman from the Gaza Strip early today as she tried to reach Israel to carry out a suicide bombing, a Palestinian security source said.

It was the first such arrest by Palestinian forces since Israel withdrew its troops from much of Gaza last week and placed responsibility for halting attacks against Israel launched from that area on the Palestinian Authority.

Israel has demanded that the Palestinian Authority crack down on militants before it moves forward on troop withdrawals from other Palestinian areas under its control.

The Palestinian security source said forces arrested the woman east of Gaza City near an area used by Palestinians to sneak into Israel.

Security forces had been searching for the woman for several hours after she left a note with her family saying she was planning to carry out a suicide bombing in Israel. Scores of Israelis have been killed in such attacks since the start of a 33-month-old Palestinian uprising for independence.

The Palestinian source said it was not yet clear if the woman had been acting alone or was sent by a militant group. The three leading Palestinian militant groups have declared a temporary ceasefire, halting attacks on Israel.

The groups on Sunday voiced disappointment, along with Palestinian ministers, over the tough criteria set by the Israeli cabinet for the release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners.

Israel holds between 6000 and 8000 Palestinians in its jails and Palestinians demand that all be released under the US-backed peace "road map" that calls for reciprocal measures leading to a Palestinian state by 2005.

Israel withdrew from parts of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank city of Bethlehem as part of a security agreement launching the implementation of the road map last week. It says further pull-backs depend on a Palestinian crackdown on militants.

- REUTERS