Barak withdraws his negotiating team from Taba after two Israeli soldiers were killed

As the Israeli radio declared the killing of two soldiers of the Israeli forces in Toulkarem, the Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak immediately declared the withdrawal of his negotiating delegation from Taba and the suspension of the negotiations with the Palestinians.

The Israeli TV said that Israel decided to suspend the current negotiations in Taba while the Israeli and the Palestinians sides are holding intensive negotiations since Sunday in order to reach an agreement.

The TV noted that the bodies of the two soldiers were found in Toulkarem which is under the rule of the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian official responsible for Toulkarem province Ezz Eddine al-Sharif said the two Israeli soldiers were killed when they entered the city and their bodies were handed to the Israeli army.

Meantime, Taba negotiations continued between the Palestinian and Israeli sides in the framework of four work committees discussing the issues of Jerusalem, the Refugees and security and regional issues, amid Israeli signals that the aim of these negotiations is to reach a declaration of principles agreement while the Palestinians seek a framework agreement dealing in details with all matters debated for discussions.

The chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Oreikat has ruled out the possibility of reaching an agreement with israel with the coming days.

He said:" the statements made by Ehud Barak on keeping the Israeli occupation on Jerusalem constitute a hard strike to the current negotiations."