TEHRAN The ****Washington Post*** reported on Monday that the Israeli government has a plan for the assassination of certain Palestinian figures. The ****Post**** reported, "In a planned manner, the Israeli government acts in this regard and has confirmed its actions." Among political Arab personalities, Thabet, who was active in peacemaking between Israelis and Palestinians, is one of the recent victims of Israeli terrorism. Based on this report, on the first day of the Christian year 2001, using machine guns, Israeli soldiers fired at Thabet as he was leaving his home. He was a dentist residing on the West Bank of the Jordan River. The ****Washington Post**** reports: "Although exact statistics do not exist for the number of victims of terrorism, active political groups speak of eight or nine recent cases of Israeli terrorism against Palestinians." In addition to Thabet, the Israeli Army and government have targeted other figures whose political activities they feared, such as Samii Malbi, who was killed by the explosion of his mobile phone, and Hussein Abayat, who was killed by a missile aimed at his car. The ****Washington Post**** writes, "Until recently Israel called accusations of such terrorism as groundless accusations' by Palestinians. However, recently in the Israeli Knesset, while admitting such terrorist acts, Israeli officials have promised more." The Barak government, however, has denied having any part in such terrorist acts. It is said in the abovementioned report that Israel has consistently pursued Palestinians who have had a direct part in armed activities, and has assassinated them. But now the Israeli government has expanded its plan and pursues even those who are active only politically. The ****Washington Post**** reports that members of the Israeli Knesset have said that the Israeli prime minister, in his recent meeting with the defense and foreign relations committees, has stated that the Israeli government has carried out planned terrorist attacks. Some members of the Knesset have expressed the view that such acts are illegal and immoral, and have opposed them. However, the Israeli government considers them a necessary preventive response to Palestinian protests and actions against Israel.

Among others who have been assassinated by Israel one can mention, Fathi Shaqaqi, Mousavi and the head of PLO Politburo. Attempts on Khalid Mash'sl's life failed.

Meanwhile, the mufti of Bait-ul-Moqaddas, the Palestinians' highest religious authority, issued an edict on Tuesday forbidding non-Muslims from controlling a holy site that is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Mufti Sheikh Ikrima Sabri made clear he rejected U.S. proposals for the future of the shrine that Muslims call Al-Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and Jews call the Temple Mount.

He issued what he said was the first fatwa, or religious edict, reiterating that the Al-Haram al-Sharif compound belongs only to the Muslims. It includes the Al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock Mosques and is one of Islam's holiest sites.

"The fatwa says that Al-Haram al-Sharif, including the site of the mosques, beneath them, as well as the space above them, all belong to the Islamic Endowment and cannot be controlled by non-Muslims," Sabri told Reuters.

"Therefore we reject the American peace ideas that plan to give Jews sovereignty beneath Al-Haram because Jews have no right whatsoever in the Haram," he said.

Israel occupied Arab Bait-ul-Moqaddas, including Al-Haram al-Sharif, in 1967 and later annexed the city in a move not recognized by the international community.

Despite this, the Islamic Endowment (Waqf), a Muslim religious council, administers Al-Haram al-Sharif.

Peace negotiators will join Israeli and Palestinian security officials for an upcoming meeting to try to bring calm to the Palestinian territories and Israel after a failed attempt in Cairo Monday, a Palestinian official said Tuesday.

International anti-Zionist organizations in an Internet site have however pointed to the support of the United States for the Zionist entity.

The sites have asked the world to ban such American goods as Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola to show their hatred against the Zionist regime and its supporters.

Israeli soldiers on Tuesday shot and killed a Palestinian man in the northern West Bank village Silat al-Dahar near Nablus on Tuesday, hospital officials said.

Abdel Hamid Khanfar, 28, had been standing with a group of Palestinians throwing stones at Israeli soldiers when he received a bullet to the head, hospital sources said, adding that another person was injured.

Khanfar's death brings to 374 the number of people killed since the Palestinian uprising began September 28: 317 Palestinians, 43 Israeli Jews, 13 Israeli Arabs and a German.

A militant from Hamas, the Islamic resistance movement, died Monday from injuries sustained when he set off a bomb in northern Israel on January 1, hurting 19 other people.

Another Palestinian was shot dead Monday by Jewish settlers south of Nablus in the West Bank, Palestinian witnesses and hospital sources said.

Mohamed Ahmed Suf, 27, died in the village of Hares near a motorway southwest of Nablus.

Villagers said Jewish settlers opened fire on Palestinians after they had thrown stones at them.