Call to halt violence by Israelis and Palestinians expected in Sharm al-Sheikh
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 2/8/2005

Saeb Oreikat, the person in charge of the negotiations file at the Palestinian authority, said Sharm al-Sheikh summit is set to be a beginning of a series of meetings to activate committees' efforts to implement the roadmap peace plan. He announced on Monday that the Israelis and the Palestinians will issue in Sharm al-Sheikh a reciprocated announcement to halt violence.

Oreikat's statement was made following his meeting with Israeli officials to discuss the arrangements for the summit which will be held today in Sharm al-Sheikh. The Israeli officials who took part in the arrangements for the summit abstained from commenting on what Oreikat had said over the reciprocated announcement of halting fire.

The Palestinian side demands that the list of prisoners to be released by Israel to include 8,000 including those who were arrested or tried before 1993 and certain leaderships of the Islamic resistance movement ( Hamas) and the Islamic Jihad as a good intention that will help the Palestinian leadership convince the Palestinian groups to resort to truce.

For its part, Israel refuses to release those who are accused of killing Israelis and cling to releasing some 500 prisoners immediately after the summit and other 400 within four months.

Meantime, Following up preparations for the summit, AL Ahram reported the following:

-This summit will serve as a beginning of cooling off period on the Palestinian Israeli track, mutual declaration of ceasefire and many other issues including gradual moves to restore positions to pre September 2000.

-This summit will result in Palestinian- Israeli understandings on mutual ceasefire, the issues of Palestinian detainees and deportees, and the establishment of a committee for following up contacts between the two parties. Understandings will also the issue of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and other regions, gradual moves to the frontiers of pre- 128 September, 2000 and continuing violence.

-This summit will also serve as a beginning of another series of moves by the international powers to support the peace process, to build the Palestinian capabilities and to provide the political and economic support for the PA.

Previous Stories:
  Israeli, Palestinian preparation meetings for Sharm al-Sheikh summit   (2/4/2005)
  Israel studies initiatives, rules out negotiations in Sharm al-Sheikh   (2/4/2005)
  Stumbled Israeli- Palestinian negotiations   (2/3/2005)

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