Palestinians and Israelis to resume delayed talks

Palestinians to resume delayed talks

Occupied Jerusalem |Reuters | Gulf News 21-07-2002

Israeli-Palestinian talks on easing hardships suffered by 700,000 Palestinians as a result of Israel's reoccupation of West Bank towns were to resume yesterday after a delay in the wake of new Palestinian violence.

But the dialogue could be strained by Palestinian outrage at Israel's tentative plan to deport relatives of Palestinian militants who provide a "supportive environment" for suicide bombings.

U.S., U.N. and Arab officials have also criticised the plan as "collective punishment" that would not solve Israeli security problems. Previous deportations of suspects did not deter violence.

An Israeli source said a team headed by Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and minister without portfolio Dani Naveh would meet a Palestinian delegation led by President Yasser Arafat's chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, on Saturday evening.

They will discuss ways to alleviate economic distress in West Bank cities reoccupied by the Israeli army a month ago in a declared bid to dry up the flow of suicide bombers to Israel, part of an uprising for independence.

An Arafat aide confirmed the meeting was planned. But no quick agreement was likely, given the current level of mistrust.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said destroying Palestinian homes and deporting relatives of suicide bombers amounted to collective punishment of Palestinians.

Erekat, a Palestinian cabinet minister, branded the proposed exile, which Israel used against suspected militants in a 1987-93 Palestinian uprising, a "crime against humanity".

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said an exile policy would "aggravate the hatred against Israelis" and bring more attacks.