Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said today that aides of Prime Minister Sharon and the PA's Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala) would meet this week, to prepare a meeting between the two leaders next week. It was reported this afternoon, however, that Abu Ala had set several tough conditions for a meeting with Sharon, including an immediate halt to the partition fence, the demolition of all parts of the fence that are not inside pre-1967 Israel, a removal of the siege around Yasser Arafat, a halt to all construction in the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, and more. Sharon is not expected to fulfill these conditions in the very near future, if at all.
The Prime Minister said yesterday that he would not conduct negotiations with the PA by himself, but rather with the active participation of four government ministers: Foreign Minister Shalom, Defense Minister Mofaz, Justice Minister Lapid, and Trade Minister Olmert.
General Security Service head Avi Dichter told the Cabinet yesterday that the recent lull in terrorism is misleading. He said that under the surface, the terrorists are seething, and that no fewer than 14 suicide attacks have been thwarted in the past seven weeks. The average number of terrorist warnings has risen from 30 to 50 of late, he noted, adding that the partition fence had proven very effective in stopping attacks. Dichter warned against an Israeli agreement to a "hudna" [temporary cease-fire], because "Hamas is currently engaged 90% of the time in hiding and survival, and only 10% in planning attacks. If there is a hudna, these proportions will be reversed."
A house in Gush Katif, Gaza sustained light damage when a mortar shell was fired at it last night... Another shell was launched this morning towards an IDF outpost nearby; no one was hurt... A girl was lightly wounded when Arabs threw rocks at a schoolbus between Kiryat Arba and Hevron this afternoon...
The Prime Minister said yesterday that he would not conduct negotiations with the PA by himself, but rather with the active participation of four government ministers: Foreign Minister Shalom, Defense Minister Mofaz, Justice Minister Lapid, and Trade Minister Olmert.
General Security Service head Avi Dichter told the Cabinet yesterday that the recent lull in terrorism is misleading. He said that under the surface, the terrorists are seething, and that no fewer than 14 suicide attacks have been thwarted in the past seven weeks. The average number of terrorist warnings has risen from 30 to 50 of late, he noted, adding that the partition fence had proven very effective in stopping attacks. Dichter warned against an Israeli agreement to a "hudna" [temporary cease-fire], because "Hamas is currently engaged 90% of the time in hiding and survival, and only 10% in planning attacks. If there is a hudna, these proportions will be reversed."
A house in Gush Katif, Gaza sustained light damage when a mortar shell was fired at it last night... Another shell was launched this morning towards an IDF outpost nearby; no one was hurt... A girl was lightly wounded when Arabs threw rocks at a schoolbus between Kiryat Arba and Hevron this afternoon...