Three Palestinians were killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza
While US administration circles talked about contacts with Israel and the Palestinian Authority over the possibility of resuming the mission of the US envoy to the region Anthony Zinni after the new year festivities, the Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon denied to have had approved a plan to found a Palestinian state, noting that contacts of his foreign minister Shimon Peres with the Palestinian authority aims only at halting the Palestinian Intifada.
Sharon stressed that negotiations with the Palestinian side will be only resumed after halting the Intifada. He said that he will run these negotiations in case they will be resumed. This was also stressed by Peres himself, who said his negotiations with the Palestinians do not exceed the issue of cease fire, according to the authorization he got from Sharon, noting that he will not agree with the Palestinian side on any document without getting the consent of his government.
While Israeli sources said the Palestinian security in Gaza renewed its meetings with the Israeli intelligence " Shabak" and this resulted in tangible reduction in the number of operations carried out by the Palestinians against Israeli targets, the Israeli radio said that high ranking officials at the US White House held intensive contacts with the Israeli and Palestinian sides, on resuming Zini's mission, adding that the Israeli side did not give a clear and final answer to this effect.
Sharon indicated that Sharon held talks with members of his government over resuming the negotiations and it was agreed with parties especially " Israel is our house " ( Israel Beitina ) not to resume the negotiations with the Palestinians on the ground of Mitchell's package.
Meantime, three Palestinians were shot on Sunday evening as a result of the Israeli bombardment of North Gaza, during an Israeli forces incursion into the region.
Palestinian security sources and eye-witnesses said the Israeli army incurred in territories fall under the control of the Palestinian authority amid intensive tanks and artillery fire by the Israeli side near Elie Sinai and Nisanit settlements in Beit Lahia town to the north of Gaza. The sources stressed the Israeli tanks fired four artillery shells are Palestinian houses in Beit Lahia town.
A spokesman for the Israeli occupation army said the Israeli tanks opened shells at Gaza and the three Palestinians were shot as a result of the bombardment.
The united leadership of the Palestinian intifada called for halting the campaign of arrests against Intifada activists.
In " Neve Tsouf" settlement in the West Bank, three Israeli soldiers were wounded when a bomb went off in their car while the Israeli forces found a body for an Israeli soldier who had disappeared one month ago in "Wadi al-teen " ( the fig valley) in the Negev.