U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni met with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah for the second time since arriving on Thursday. Zinni is to meet with the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Saturday evening, Israel Radio reported.
"I believe the coming 24 hours will be a real test for the seriousness of the Israeli government and the ability of the U.S. administration," said Nabil Abu Rdeineh, the media advisor of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Zinni was greeted by Arafat at his headquarters in Ramallah on Saturday, ahead of a meeting with Palestinian political and security advisers.
The Palestinian side said U.S. pressure on Israel to withdraw from Palestinian-controlled areas gave Zinni's third mission a greater chance of success. Zinni met Saturday with senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, Palestinian Parliament speaker Ahmed Qurei (Abu Ala) and information minister Yasser Abed Rabbo in Ramallah.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed hope Friday in an interview to the Associated Press that Israel's pullback of troops and tanks on the West Bank would continue as Zinni tries to set up security talks with Israel and the Palestinians. But, Powell cautioned, "There is nothing permanent about staged withdrawals. Obviously, you could take a tank out of reverse and put it back in forward."
Incidents
Despite the talks, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a taxi driver driving through central Hebron in an area under curfew. The family of Mohammed Da'ana, 26, claimed Israeli soldiers shot him at a checkpoint. The Israeli army said the man was killed while driving his car in an Israeli- controlled section of the city which was under curfew at the time.
Also Saturday the Israeli army arrested an Islamic Jihad activist in the West Bank village Maisalun, south of Jenin.
In Gaza, a man shot when Israeli troops entered Jebalya Camp last week died of his wounds Saturday.
In Nablus, armed Palestinians executed two men convicted of collaborating with Israel. The two men had already been sentenced to death in a Palestinian security court, but escaped from prison a week ago after Israeli shelling. It was the third instance this week of such killing of collaborators.
An Israeli soldier was in moderate to serious condition Friday night after being shot by a Palestinian gunman in Hebron. In the gun battle that ensued in Hebron, Palestinians shot at settlers' homes and Israeli positions. Palestinian sources reported that one person was killed and six were wounded in Hebron. Among the wounded is an intelligence officer, who sustained very serious injuries.
Palestinian sources reported that 12 people had been killed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Friday.
And according to Israel Radio, a young Palestinian woman tried to snatch the weapon of a security guard Saturday afternoon in a Netanya shopping mall.
The security guard caught the 17-year-old Palestinian and police arrested the woman, who did not have a permit to stay in Israel.
EU
European Union leaders were set to reaffirm their support on Saturday for the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside an Israel secure within internationally recognized borders, reported Reuters.
The 15 leaders discussed the Middle East crisis at a working dinner on Friday evening during summit talks in Barcelona.
"(The EU supports) the creation of a democratic, viable and independent Palestinian state, bringing to an end the occupation of territories which began in 1967," Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique told reporters after the dinner.
He said a declaration due to be issued later on Saturday would pledge strong support for U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni's efforts to mediate a ceasefire in the region. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
