Palestinian - Israeli negotiations on Sunday

Palestinian and Israeli negotiators are convening tomorrow within U.S. efforts to push the peace process forward.

Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai will meet with Palestinian negotiator Mahmoud Abbas to discuss methods of implementing the withdrawal of the Israeli forces the West Bank according to a US initiative.

The U.S. plan called for an Israeli withdrawal from 13.1% of the West Bank, but Israel refused this suggestion and continued procrastinating.

Israel proposed withdrawing from 10%, and another (3%) later, but the Palestinian government refused these suggestions and said the 13% proposal is less than the minimum Palestinian demands yet they agreed to the proposal and say they refuse to accept any adjustments in the withdrawal percentage.

Palestinian officials have also emphasized that they will declare an independent state in May 1999 according to Oslo accords.