Al-Reuters reports, sans scare quotes: Palestinians rule out al-Qaeda presence in Gaza.

GAZA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The Palestinian Authority rejected on Thursday a report from Israeli intelligence that foreign Islamists suspected of links to al-Qaeda had slipped into the Gaza Strip after Israel withdrew last month.

Israel’s military intelligence chief said this week that around 10 “global jihad operatives” entered Gaza during chaos at the border with Egypt following Israel’s troop pullout to end 38 years of military rule. The border was later sealed.

The Palestinian Interior Ministry said its investigations showed that the Israeli report was untrue.

A spokesman accused Israel of trying to undermine President Mahmoud Abbas’s White House meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush later on Thursday.

“The ongoing investigations of the Palestinian security services confirm that no al-Qaeda members had entered the Gaza Strip. Al-Qaeda does not exist in Gaza,” said Tawfiq Abu Khoussa.

Well, that’s a relief. And as we know, the Palestinians are always right and they never lie.