United States special envoy Anthony Zinni is reportedly continuing efforts to coordinate a three-way meeting with Israel and the Palestinians in which the sides would declare a cease-fire and the immediate implementation of the Tenet plan. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon stated his willingness to attend such a meeting, but Palestinian officials said that they would not take part until Israel had fully withdrawn from all territories occupied by the IDF in the past weeks.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office Saturday night said that Zinni would chair a three-way meeting on Sunday, but a second statement later clarified that no such meeting had been arranged and blamed the media for the mix-up, possibly due to a translation error.

According to media reports, Sharon readily agreed to Zinni's proposal to convene the cease-fire summit with the Palestinians, and said that he would attend as Israel's representative. Sharon reportedly conditioned his participation in the meeting on the Palestinians sending a high-ranking official other than Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. During his meeting with Zinni at the Sycamore Ranch Saturday night, Sharon announced, "I am ready for an immediate meeting. It is time that we sit down and talk," Yediot Aharonot reported.

According to Maariv, it was Sharon who proposed having the three-way meeting, and on Saturday night, Sharon asked Zinni to convey this proposal to the Palestinians.

Palestinian officials had already made clear that they would not agree to meet with Israel in any capacity until the IDF had fully withdrawn from Area A. "We will not meet with the Israelis until they withdraw from territories conquered in the last weeks," declared Gaza Strip Preventive Security Chief Mohammed Dahlan. "We also demand immediate and real guarantees of the implementation of the Tenet and Mitchell plans, and the launching of final status talks based on the proposals of [Saudi Arabian Crown] Prince Abdullah."

On Friday, as a gesture to facilitate Zinni's cease-fire mission, Israeli forces completed their withdrawal from territories occupied in Ramallah, Kalkilya and Tulkarm, but maintained tight closures around the Palestinian cities due to warnings of terrorist attacks. Israeli troops maintained positions in Bethlehem and Beit Jalla. A meeting between Israeli and Palestinian security officials was tentatively scheduled for Saturday night to arrange for the transfer of security responsibilities in Bethlehem and allow for an IDF withdrawal, but the Palestinians did not show up, Yediot Aharonot reported.

Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told Israel Radio on Sunday that Israel would find the way to enable an IDF withdrawal from Area A in order to begin the cease-fire talks, but said the Palestinians had to take on security responsibilities there. "If the Palestinians want to get the territories, they must be responsible for them," he said.

At a press conference held Saturday night, Peres said Israel had told Zinni that it would not initiate military operations against the Palestinians, even as responses to terrorist attacks. Israel also reportedly agreed to abstain from targeted killings, except in the case of "ticking bombs" - terrorists on their way to perpetrate attacks. But Sharon countered Peres's statement by telling the cabinet at today's weekly session, "If during the [cease-fire] talks there are attacks, Israel will act accordingly," ynet reported.

On Thursday, Sharon announced the formation of two negotiations teams. Peres would head the diplomatic team, which would include Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Minister without portfolio Tzipi Livni and Maj.-Gen. (res.) Meir Dagan, originally appointed by Sharon in November to lead Israel's cease-fire negotiations. The Israeli security negotiations team would include Shin Bet director Avi Dichter and Maj.-Gen. Giora Eiland, chief of the IDF's Planning Branch. Sharon said that he would personally supervise the operations of the two teams, along with Peres and Ben-Eliezer.

Sharon emphasized today that the diplomatic team was empowered to only negotiate the terms of a cease-fire at this time. "When we achieve a cease-fire as stipulated in the Tenet Accord, we will commence diplomatic negotiations," Sharon told the cabinet, Army Radio reported.

© 2001-2002 Koret Communications Ltd. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.