Looking ahead for the first time after months of impasse, the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers yesterday prepared for a summit, possibly within days. However, despite conciliatory statements, expectations are low that the US-backed "road map" peace plan can be revived. Neither side appears closer to meeting its obligations _ a crackdown on militant groups by the Palestinians, a removal of dozens of settlement outposts by Israel. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie convened his Cabinet for the first time yesterday, a day after it was sworn in after two months of political wrangling. With a government finally in place, Qurie can focus on his priorities. He first wants to persuade militant groups to halt attacks on Israelis and then get Israel to agree to a truce, including a stop to military strikes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel's position appears to have softened somewhat in recent days, and officials have said they want to give Qurie a chance. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said a Sharon-Qurie summit meeting could take place in 10 days, after Sharon's trip to Italy at the beginning of next week. Israel has begun construction on a new tranche of its controversial separation barrier close to the heavily-populated Alkana settlement in the West Bank. Three bulldozers, guarded by armed vigilantes and soldiers, began to level the land near the Palestinian village of Rantis which lies around 30 km to the west of the town of Ramallah. The new 7.4 km section will run from Rantis, which is several hundred meters on the Palestinian side of the Green Line marking the boundary of the West Bank, southwards to Palestinian village of Al-Midyah. In another development, Israel expelled a Palestinian detainee from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip, in the third such measure this week, Palestinian security sources said. The Israeli army dropped Taha Dweik, a resident of the West Bank town of Hebron, near the Jewish settlement of Netzarim. Meanwhile, China next month will host an Asia-Pacific meeting to ending 'violence' in the Middle East. "The Chinese government will hold jointly with the United Nations an Asia-Pacific meeting on the question of Palestine from December 16 to 18," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said. Canada added three high-profile Palestinian groups to its list of banned terrorist organizations yesterday. The Palestine Liberation Front, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the PFLP-General Command all "knowingly engaged in terrorist activity," Solicitor General Wayne Easter said. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Israeli border police officers scuffle with foreign activists of the International Solidarity Movement who tried to cross from the Israeli side of the separation wall Israel is building, to the Palestinian side in the northern West Bank village of Baka Al-Sharkiya Thursday Nov. 13, 2003. (AP)