Rice arrives in Gaza tomorrow
An American delegation arrived in the Palestinian territories on Thursday in preparations for the forthcoming visit by the US secretary of state Conzaleezza Rice to the region on Saturday.
Rice will be making separate talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaderships in an attempt to help them to coordinate the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, due to start in August.
Diplomatic sources said that the office of the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon refused an American request to convene a joint press conference with Rice, of fears that she will make open pressure on Israel so as to propose more cooperation with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during the coming summit between the two men on Tuesday.
