JERUSALEM — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, under intense pressure to rein in militant groups, issued instructions to his security forces Monday to try to prevent attacks against Israel, members of his Cabinet said.
The announcement, made without details on the eve of Abbas' planned visit today to the Gaza Strip for meetings with leaders of Palestinian militant organizations, drew a lukewarm response from Israel.
"If they follow through, it would be a step in the right direction," said David Baker, an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Baker said Israel wanted to see concrete steps such as the deployment of security forces in parts of Gaza where extremists often launch rockets and mortar shells at Israeli towns and Jewish settlements.
Hamas, the largest and most powerful of the militant groups, said it would continue its attacks, even though it has indicated openness to the idea of a cease-fire. "The weapon of resistance is the choice of all Palestinians, not only Hamas," spokesman Mushir Masri said.
Abbas' dealings with the guerrillas have emerged as the central quandary of his presidency. He favors a negotiated accord with militant groups rather than armed confrontation. But Israel is threatening harsh military action unless he can quickly halt the attacks on towns near the boundary with Gaza.
One such volley Saturday, aimed at the Negev desert town of Sderot, left a 17-year-old Israeli girl critically injured. On Monday, hundreds of townspeople staged a general strike and protest, demanding that Sharon find a way to stop the attacks.
"A government that cannot defend all its citizens is a government that has no right to rule," the town's mayor, Eli Moyal, told the crowd.
Two more rockets fell on Sderot's outskirts Monday, but no injuries were reported.
Attacks originating in Gaza have taken on ominous political significance for Sharon, who is struggling to make headway in his plan to evacuate settlers and troops from the seaside territory this summer. His right-wing opponents cite the rocket fire as proof that without an Israeli military presence, the enclave would become a safe haven and staging ground for the militias.
On Sunday, the Israeli leader ordered the army to take any action necessary to stop the attacks, but the next day Israeli news reports cited senior officials saying there would be a two- or three-week grace period before any major operations.
