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Israel palestinians step up talks Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-01-25-israel_x.htmhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-01-25-israel_x.htm
Israel, Palestinians step up talks
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and the Palestinian Authority resumed diplomatic contacts Wednesday after a two-week freeze, and Israel agreed to suspend targeted killings of Palestinian militants — two more steps toward a cease-fire and a resumption of peace talks.
The relative calm was marred by a brief burst of violence in the Gaza Strip, including the killing of a Palestinian preschooler, apparently by Israeli army fire, and the launching of a Palestinian rocket. Also, in the West Bank Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian militant and seriously wounded two others in an arrest raid on the town of Qalqiliya, the army said.
It was not clear if the violence would slow the momentum toward a truce.
Officials from both sides held a flurry of meetings Wednesday, to prepare for a summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and to finalize a plan for Palestinian police deployment in the central and southern Gaza Strip on Thursday. (Related: Hamas leader raises hope | Video)
Abbas told his security chiefs to get ready for assuming control of five West Bank cities within 10 days, participants in the meeting said. The cities are Ramallah, Tulkarem, Qalqiliya, Jericho and Bethlehem, the commanders said.
Israeli officials said the issue was not yet discussed. Israel reoccupied West Bank population centers in a 2002 military offensive against Palestinian militants. Troops have since pulled back to the outskirts of most towns but have frequently raided them in search of militants.
Abbas told The Associated Press that he is hopeful. "We have talks now with the Israelis, and these talks are promising in all aspects," he said.
A senior U.S. envoy, William Burns, arrived for talks with top Israeli and Palestinian officials on the emerging cease-fire deal. After meeting Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres, Burns said Washington is committed to taking advantage of what it sees as "a very promising moment."
"We've been very encouraged by steps that Mr. Abbas has taken on security, by the Israeli reaction to those steps," Burns said.
Police had taken up positions in the northern half of Gaza over the weekend, to try to prevent rocket and mortar fire on Israeli communities.
Israeli and Palestinian commanders met twice Wednesday at a key junction in southern Gaza to finalize the deployment of Palestinian forces in central and southern Gaza. About 100 Jewish settlers briefly disrupted the first meeting, throwing stones and cutting tires of participants' vehicles, Israeli police said. Five settlers were detained for questioning.
Palestinian police commanders denied reports the deployment has already begun. They said commanders and their security guards toured the area only briefly and then returned to old positions.
Raanan Gissin, a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, also denied the deployment has begun. He said no new Palestinian forces were in the area, noting that their posting requires coordination. The deployment is to begin Thursday, the officials said.
Sharon, meanwhile, decided to resume diplomatic contacts with the Palestinian Authority, two weeks after he cut off ties over a Palestinian attack that killed six Israelis at a Gaza cargo crossing.
Shortly after the decision, Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat met with Sharon's aide, Dov Weisglass, to discuss a cease-fire deal and prepare for a summit.
Erekat and Weisglass failed to agree on a summit agenda, participants said. Israel wants to focus on security issues, while the Palestinians want to raise other issues, including the release of Palestinian prisoners and the separation barrier Israel is building in the West Bank.
Erekat and Weisglass were to meet again next week. Palestinian official Hassan Abu Libdeh, who participated in the talks, said there could be a summit in two weeks if differences over the agenda can be settled.
Israeli security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tuesday the military has agreed to halt targeted attacks on militants — usually missiles fired from helicopters — in which dozens of fugitives and bystanders have been killed since the outbreak of fighting in 2000.
The most prominent Palestinians killed in the targeted attacks were Hamas founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, and his successor, Abdel Aziz Rantisi.
The security officials said Israel would not act on its current target list of militants, but they warned that if Palestinians resume hostile activity, they will target those responsible.
Israel informed the Palestinians of the decision, the security officials said.
Gissin confirmed Israel would scale back military operations. "We will exercise our right of self-defense and prevent terror attacks," he said. "Beyond that, we are not going to initiate any military activity."
However, the Israeli military has not halted arrest raids, particularly in the West Bank.
In Qalqiliya, troops shot three suspected militants, killing one and wounding the two others. All three were wanted militants, the army said. Local residents said the men belonged to the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a militia loosely with ties to the ruling Fatah party.
Overnight, Palestinian police prevented three attempts by militants to fire mortars and rockets from northern Gaza, Palestinian officials said, refusing to give detail.
In southern Gaza, where officers are not yet deployed, militants fired at least one rocket, the Israeli military said. In the central town of Deir el-Balah, Israeli troops returned fire at militants, the army said. A Palestinian girl was killed in her Deir el-Balah home by the army's return fire, her relatives said. Doctors said the girl was shot in the head.
Abbas was to leave Friday for visits to Egypt, Jordan, Russia and Turkey. Abbas also decided to make a brief stopover at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Saturday, after initially deciding not to attend, Palestinian officials said. Israeli leaders, including Peres and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, also will participate in the Davos conference.
If he obtains U.S.- and Egyptian-backed guarantees that Israel will halt military operations, he is expected to return to the Gaza Strip for a formal cease-fire declaration, Palestinian officials said.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.
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