ARABS-ISRAEL - Dec 8 - Israel Halts Talks With Palestinians.Israel suspends talks with the PA on passage between the Gaza Strip Gaza Strip (gäz`ə), (2003 est. pop. 1,330,000) rectangular coastal area, c.140 sq mi (370 sq km), SW Asia, on the Mediterranean Sea adjoining Egypt and Israel, in what was formerly SW Palestine. and West Bank, a move seen as vital to reviving economic activity in the occupied territories This article is about occupied territory in general: for more specific discussion of the territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War, see Israeli-occupied territories. Occupied territories . US Asst State Sec David Welch C. David Welch is the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs of the United States. He served from 2001 to 2005 as the U.S. Ambassador to Egypt. Welch was born in Munich in 1953. , was due in the region on Dec 8 and officials hoped he would persuade Israel to restart To resume computer operation after a planned or unplanned termination. See boot, warm boot and checkpoint/restart. negotiations on bus convoys for the Palestinians, which were due to start next week under a deal brokered by Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state. Restoring a link between the territories, along with the Palestinians taking control of the main Gaza-Egypt border crossing, were part of the agreement brokered by Ms Rice last month. Business leaders and government officials will examine such measures when they meet in London next week as part of discussions on how to boost the Palestinian economy following Israel's withdrawal from Gaza earlier this year. However, peace hopes dimmed further this week with fresh violence. Israeli air strikes killed two Palestinian militants in Gaza on Dec 8, part of Israel's response to Dec 5 suicide attack suicide attack suicide n → Selbstmordanschlag m that killed five Israelis in Netanya. Since Dec 5 suicide bombing Noun 1. suicide bombing - a terrorist bombing carried out by someone who does not hope to survive it bombing - the use of bombs for sabotage; a tactic frequently used by terrorists suicide bombing n → , Israel has resumed targeted assassinations of militants and imposed tough restrictions on Palestinian movement within the territories. Israel says talks on bus convoys can only resume after the PA cracks down on terrorists. As Israel prepares for elections next March, Israeli PM Ariel Sharon, is under pressure to maintain a tight grip on the territories. Meanwhile, the US signed an agreement with Israel on Dec 8 to provide scanners and other inspection equipment worth $50mn to be used to speed up movements at border crossing points between Israel and the West Bank and Gaza. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion