Rice in Israel to Meet With Abbas, Sharon

28/06/2003| IslamWeb

An Islamic Jihad leader announced Saturday that the group accepted a conditional three-month halt to attacks on Israelis. The announcement came just before U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice arrived in Israel on Saturday and headed to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank desert oasis of Jericho. Rice will also meet Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in a mission to move both sides toward their next moves under the so-called "road map" plan for Palestinian statehood by 2005. The road map could get a boost from both a truce by Palestinian groups and a deal reached Friday between Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs for an Israeli troop withdrawal from parts of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank town of Bethlehem. Intensive meetings continued Saturday between Jihad, Hamas and Fatah to work out the final wording of a declaration, and efforts were on to bring 10 smaller factions on board. A statement faxed to the AP in the name of the third main militia, the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades - which is linked to Arafat's Fatah movement - said that group had not yet committed itself to the deal, apparently because there was no Israeli guarantee on the release of Palestinian prisoners. The statement, from some of the militia's local West Bank leaders, however, did not necessarily represent the views of the whole group. Hamas leaders have indicated their acceptance of the truce, but they were waiting to declare it formally in the joint declaration with all the parties. "I believe that it will be a good document," said Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi on Friday. "It will serve the interest of the Palestinian people and will preserve Palestinian unity and the option of resistance." Meanwhile, an Israeli troop withdrawal could begin as early as Monday, officials said. At its weekly Saturday meeting, Fatah approved the agreement reached by security chief Mohammed Dahlan with the Israelis. Under the deal, the Palestinians will take over security of areas Israeli leaves and have agreed to act against what Israel calls "ticking bombs" - a reference to assailants on their way to attack Israelis, and the people who send them. "The Palestinian security apparatus is ready to take on this huge responsibility," Dahlan said. The road map requires Israeli forces to pull back to positions held before the outbreak of fighting in September 2000. U.S. envoy John Wolf will assemble an American team to monitor the handover of security control, said Secretary of State Colin Powell in Washington. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat attends Friday prayers in a mosque adjacent to his headquarters in the West Bank town of Ramallah Friday June 27, 2003. (AP Photo/Palestinian Authority, Hussein Hussein, HO)