American special envoy Anthony Zinni returns to the Middle East this week to work towards the immediate implementation of a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinians. The surprise announcement of Zinni's return coincided with a wave of international criticism over Israel's military actions against the Palestinians, and just before Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his willingness to negotiate for a cease-fire, even while under fire.

"Zinni's goal is to get the parties to implement the Tenet security work plan steps immediately, to get them to take steps even before he gets there, " State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said. On Thursday, President George W. Bush made the surprise announcement of Zinni's return and Sharon praised the move.

Zinni, whose previous diplomatic missions failed to bring

"Negotiations to stop the shooting will be held under fire" - PM Ariel Sharon

about a reduction of violence, will now stay in the region to monitor Palestinian compliance with the Tenet plan, which calls for the arrest of wanted terrorists and the collection of illegal weapons, Ha'aretz reported.

Meanwhile, representatives of the United States and the European Union have reportedly launched a joint initiative calling for the end of violence between Israel and the Palestinians. A spokesman for the Dutch Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that the American-European initiative would demand that Sharon "implement an immediate cease-fire" as well as request the resumption of negotiations between the sides, Ha'aretz reported.

Criticism of Israeli military actions grows
International calls for a cease-fire came along with a growing wave of criticism over Israeli military actions against Palestinian targets. Boucher said on Friday that the Bush administration "understands that Israel has been the subject of violence and terror," and therefore Israeli citizens "feel a need to defend themselves, and they have a right to do so." But, Boucher added, "We don't think that these particular actions that are being taken by the Israeli government in many of these cases, whether it's targeted killings or the use of heavy military force in densely populated areas, we don't think that those kind of steps actually contribute to better security, to achievement of their goals."

American officials reportedly expressed concern at Israeli actions that harmed humanitarian workers and medical emergency crews. Five Palestinian medical personnel, including Bethlehem hospital director, Dr. Ahmed Othman, 60, have been killed by IDF actions in the past week. Othman was killed Friday when the ambulance he was riding in failed to stop at an army roadblock. The IDF Spokesman stressed the army allows ambulances to enter areas to treat wounded only after a cessation of fighting.

European diplomats also condemned Israeli actions over the weekend. "It appears that the government of Israel has given a green light to its army to kill many Palestinians, as said by Ariel Sharon himself," charged French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine.

Sharon drops demand for seven days of quiet
Sharon convened his diplomatic-security cabinet this morning to discuss possible Israeli reactions to two terrorist attacks Saturday night, in which 13 Israelis were killed and over 100 people were wounded. Government sources said that Israel's response would be "in line with the outline already approved: continuous operations, lasting another week or two, aimed at stopping the attacks," Ha'aretz reported.

The IDF continued its intense military actions against Palestinian targets over the weekend. Overnight, IAF helicopters fired missiles and destroyed Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Gaza City. The army reduced its presence in the Tulkarm refugee camps but operations continued in the Bethlehem area and in the northern Gaza Strip. "We must keep up the attacks by land, sea and air until they ask for a cease-fire," Interior Minister Eli Yishai told Israel Television Saturday night.

On Friday, Sharon announced his willingness to drop his long-standing demand for seven days of absolute quiet before beginning any negotiations with the Palestinians. "Negotiations to stop the shooting will be held under fire," Sharon told Channel 2 television interviewer Udi Segal. "These are negotiations to achieve a cease-fire."

Opposition leader Yossi Sarid (Meretz) welcomed Sharon's willingness to enter cease-fire negotiations. Sarid said that if it were not for Sharon's "unrealistic insistence" on seven days of quiet, there would be fewer Israeli families mourning their loved ones.

Right-wing ministers and Knesset members criticized Sharon's apparent change in policy. MK Zvi Hendel said that the Palestinian terrorists had "won another prize," adding that apparently the "murder of Jews pays." Hendel's party, the National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu faction, announced its intentions to leave the national unity government due to Sharon's "dropping the principle of not negotiating while under fire, and [his] caving in on the demand for seven days of quiet."

Education Minister Limor Livnat (Likud) and Minister of Construction and Housing Natan Sharansky (Yisrael Ba'aliya) attacked Sharon for not consulting with them before dropping the demand for a week of calm.

Sharon denied that he had made the statement due to pressure from the United States. "I came to the conclusion, due to the level of terrorism, ... and because of the extent of our operations, ... that it would be impossible to reach seven absolutely quiet days," Sharon said, according to Army Radio.

According to media reports, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer had pressed Sharon over the weekend to rescind Israel's travel restrictions on Arafat. On Friday, Arafat announced that Palestinian security forces had arrested a fourth suspect in the killing of the late Israeli Tourism Minister, Rechavam Ze'evi. Government sources said that Sharon had been willing to consider allowing Arafat free movement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, until Saturday night's terrorist attacks occurred. Sharon told cabinet ministers today that he would hold consultations with security officials within a few days to discuss the Arafat travel ban, Israel Radio reported.

Sharon's announcement that he had withdrawn his demand for a week of quiet before any possible negotiations with the Palestinians brought him in line with Ben-Eliezer's position that the sides should immediately begin talks aimed at achieving a cease-fire, Maariv reported. Officials in Sharon's official explained the Prime Minister's new policy by stating, "If the Palestinians want to talk and fight at the same time, that is what they will receive. They will get our gunfire, a very lot of gunfire, until they come and ask us to talk to them with no fire."

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