Egypt demands immediate halt to Israeli attacks on Palestinians

Egypt yesterday voiced concern over the continuous Israeli attacks against the Palestinians and demanded Israel to immediately halt its aggressive acts.

"Egypt also demands the cessation of the collective punishment policy exercised against the defenceless Palestinian people," added Prime Minister Atef Ebeid in his address to the opening session of the Egyptian-Lebanese cooperation commission meeting in Cairo.

The Palestinians have been the target of a ruthless Israeli crackdown for the past nine months. A truce, brokered by US Central Intelligence Agency Chief George Tenet, is hardly holding more than a week after it took effect. "The Arab nation has opted for peace as a strategic choice for development and stability," added Ebeid. "But this peace should be fair and ensure the return of land to their legal owners.

He welcomed the US acceptance of the recommendations made by the fact-finding Mitchell Committee. In its report released last month, the panel led by former US Senator George Mitchell, called for a halt to violence, confidence-building measures and a total freeze on Israel's settlements activities.

Ebeid and his Lebanese counterpart Rafik al-Hariri yesterday chaired meetings of the joint cooperation committee. Rafik, who had arrived earlier in the day to Cairo, urged that obstacles to the flow of inter-Arab trade be removed.

During their discussions, officials from both sides agreed to increase bilateral investments and coordinate economic policies. Al Hariri is accompanied on his visit to Cairo by a high-level delegation including finance, tourism, energy and manpower ministers as well as the foreign minister.