Mubarak, Abbas review Gaza plan

Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, in a telephone conversation yesterday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, reviewed the international and regional contacts being made to ensure the success of the Israeli plan to withdraw form Gaza Strip starting by mid-August.

Their conversation also dwelt on alleviating the hardships the Palestinians are suffering everyday.

Meanwhile, Israeli political sources said that Israel will ask the United States for $ 2.2 billion to pay for its planned withdrawal.

The special funding would be used to pay for the pullout from Gaza and a corner of the West Ban, and for the relocation of some 9,000 evacuated Jewish settlers to underpopulated areas of Israel.

Israel's Haaretz daily said that the request would be made by aides to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in talks with US National Security Council official Elliot Abrams soon.

The Bush administration has agreed in principle to help fund the Gaza plan, Haaretz said. Washington wants the withdrawal to consolidate a five-month old truce and spur talks on a US-led "roadmap" for a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.