Jerusalem, June 16: Middle East peace hopes brightened yesterday with progress reported in bringing Palestinian militants on board a ceasefire deal and an accord near on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from some occupied areas. The moves came amid intense pressure from Washington to end one of the worst cycles of bloodshed in the 32-month-old conflict and advance on an international plan championed by President George W Bush.
New Israeli-Palestinian security talks were scheduled yesterday and the Palestinian factions were meeting among themselves as a senior US diplomat started his mission here to oversee implementation of Bush's so -called peace "roadmap."
Bush forecast "a tough road" to peace and said yesterday the international community must "deal harshly" with the radical Palestinian movement Hamas and other groups behind anti-Israeli violence.
But Palestinian officials expressed confidence they were on track towards a ceasefire agreement with the Prime Minister Mahmud Abbas due to meet with the various Palestinian groups tomorrow in Gaza.
"We are sure we will come out with positive results," his Information Minister Nabil Amr said after a cabinet meeting in the West Bank town of Ramallah. He said preliminary contacts with the groups had produced "encouraging messages."
Hopes for a possible ceasefire were buoyed after Hamas said last night it would consider "carefully and seriously" the ceasefire proposals presented by a high-level Egyptian political and security delegation.
Bureau Report