US Secretary of State Colin Powell had ''very good and thorough'' talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Sunday at which he urged him to withdraw from Palestinian areas and expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in the West Bank, his spokesman said.
''Secretary of State Colin Powell had a very good and thorough discussion with Prime Minister Sharon on Sunday evening,'' State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in a statement. ''He discussed with Prime Minister Sharon some ideas on how to achieve what Israelis and Palestinians want --an end to the violence and moving forward on the political issues,'' he added in a statement describing their talks in Tel Aviv. ''He stressed our serious concerns about the humanitarian situation, particularly in Jenin,'' he said, referring to a northern West Bank town where a refugee camp is cut off and in ruins after fierce fighting between Israelis and Palestinians. ''We note that Israel continues to withdraw,'' he said, referring to Israel's incursion in Palestinian towns and villages, in its 17th day. ''The secretary pressed for its completion,'' Boucher added. Bureau Report