Israel's Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian peer Mahmoud Abbas are expected to meet in the coming days – the third meeting between the two leaders in recent weeks.
Senior security officials from both sides are also planned to hold a series of meetings in the coming days, culminating with a meeting between Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and Palestinian security chief Mohammed Dahlan.
On the ground, Israeli troops arrested five Palestinians overnight Thursday, three of them in the Jenin area. The Israeli army on Wednesday reinvaded the city of Jenin, a frequent target of Israeli incursions. Palestinian sources in the city said occupation troops imposed curfew on the town’s 80,000 inhabitants.
Late Wednesday night, occupation troops demolished a number of buildings near the Gaza Strip town of Rafah.
Meanwhile, some 20,000 settlers and their supporters rallied Wednesday night in Jerusalem to protest against the deal struck at the Aqaba summit.
The Council of Jewish Settlements issued a statement calling the Aqaba summit "a humiliating ceremony in which the Israeli government celebrated its surrender to Palestinian terrorism." (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
