Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian
peer Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) are expected to meet Thursday evening in Jerusalem, for their second round of talks in less than two weeks.
Also representing the Palestinian side will be Mohammed
Dahlan, who is in charge of internal security affairs, and Foreign Minister Nabil Sha'ath.
According to Israeli press reports, Sharon will tell Abu Mazen that Israel has accepted the road map, and now it is the Palestinians' turn to take steps against "terror." Sharon will propose that the Palestinian Authority take gradual security control over areas that the Israeli army withdraws from.
On Wednesday, in the Gaza Strip, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of Hamas told Reuters the US-backed road map peace plan was "a trick" and America could not be trusted. Yassin added his movement might suspend suicide bombing attacks inside Israel if the Jewish state stopped its policy of assassinating Palestinian activists and released about 7,000 prisoners.
Meanwhile on Thursday, a 20-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian medics and military sources said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
