It seems that "the vicious circle" of the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation is descending further into a downward spiral. At any rate, it is obvious that the supporters of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of the radical Palestinian movement, Hamas, are sure to avenge his assassination in the Gaza Strip on Monday.
According to a statement made by Hamas spokesman in Gaza, "Israel has opened the gates of the Hell and its Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will lose his head soon".
All this is causing serious concern in the world, in particular, in Russia, which is a co-sponsor of the Middle East peace process.
The assassination of Palestinian commanders, who, the Israelis stress, are involved in terrorist attacks, has recently become common practice both in the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank. Israeli air force helicopters launch missile strikes at their cars virtually every week. However, - and this is fact - the killing of such a prominent figure as Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is the first in the entire three and a half years of "the al-Aqsa intifada".
The sheikh's authority among the Palestinians, and not only Hamas activists, had considerably grown in the past few years, which is largely because of the population's dissatisfaction with the negotiating process. Palestinian radicals have recently been consistently stating their position: "talks with the Zionist enemy is a road to nowhere, armed resistance must be continued". Indeed, the figure of the sheikh, who used a wheelchair most of his life after being paralysed in a childhood accident, had for many even become a symbol of the struggle.
This means that the most terrible consequences may be in store for the Israelis in the wake of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin's assassination. There have already been reports about thousands of people taking to the streets in Gaza and the majority of West Bank cities calling for a jihad.
It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the Israelis, as is always the case in periods of serious tension, have completely sealed off the Palestinian Autonomy territories. The army and police have been put on high alert, especially in those areas on the so-called green line, beyond which is Palestine.
According to information from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army fired at districts throughout last week, following the monstrous March 14 terrorist attack in the port city of Ashdod, which left ten Israelis dead and dozens wounded. As is being noted now, this was "retaliation for the death and suffering of the people". This is why the majority of Israeli politicians believe that such actions must be welcomed not only in the Jewish state, but also in those countries that know terrorism from their own experience.
Israeli politicians have been giving such advise to their colleagues in other countries for many years and the latter seem to have no objection to using it in some cases. However, it is obvious that the "eye for an eye" tactic cannot help the Israelis to achieve their aims. On the contrary, "a vicious circle of escalating violence" is taking shape. Nevertheless, the justification of "retaliatory strikes" is the usual tactics in Israel.
When working as a RIA Novosti correspondent in this country during the intifada, I often heard people say, "There is no other way anyway, all the terrorists must be eliminated". The Palestinians think otherwise. The supporters of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, with whom I also happened to talk in Gaza, first of all, stress "their right to put up resistance to the Israeli occupation", although the majority of the population does not approve of their too radical sentiments and terrorist operations in Israel. Ordinary Palestinians say that these actions simply do not let them live and work a normal life.
This primarily refers to moderate Palestinians who already know how events will develop. A retaliatory terrorist attack and even a series of attacks following Yassin's assassination may soon be expected in Israel. Then, Israeli anti-terrorist operations will follow. In other words, "the circle of violence " will extend further, as has always been the case, while the lives of ordinary people in the Palestinian Autonomy will become even more unbearable.
The sheikh's killing will hardly improve anything for the Israelis. As usual, cafes and restaurants, markets and supermarkets, which Israelis prefer to avoid in periods of heightened tension, are now empty. Mothers have again started to worry about their children in the army.
The residents of the Jewish Gaza Strip settlements were the first to feel how the situation has deteriorated, which is always the case after military operations in Gaza. This morning, the Gush Katif settlement came under mortar fire. All the settlement's residents have been ordered to stay home and classes in the local school have been cancelled. Representatives of the Israel's left-wing parties have already understood the danger. "The politicians seem to have gone out of their minds," says Avshalom Vilan of the Meretz party. "The decision was prompted by emotion, not common sense. The sheikh's killing will trigger a reaction that will make us regret what we did".
It is becoming increasingly clear that neither side will "win the war", despite the insistent claims of both right-wing forces in Israel and radicals in Palestine. Terrorists' bombs, missile attacks, military operations or "security walls" cannot help in this case. There will be further bloodshed, but there will be only one way out of the situation - through negotiations, and Russia and the other countries whose envoys are taking part in the Middle East peace process understand this. It is obvious that there is no alternative.
