The joint Israeli-Palestinian security committee held Wednesday night ended without any declaration on a cease-fire. It was decided, however, that further meetings will be held in the coming days, according to Israeli Radio.
During the meeting, which was held at the home of US Ambassador to Israel Dan Kurtzer in Herzliya, the two sides attempted to agree on a timetable for a cease-fire and for the implementation of the Tenet and Mitchell plans.
The meeting was attended by US Special Envoy Anthony Zinni. Taking part in the meeting on behalf of the Israeli side were Shin Bet chief Avi Dichter, and Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland. Representing the Palestinians were Jibril Rajoub, head of the West Bank Preventive Security forces, and his Gaza counterpart Mohammed Dahlan.
US mediator Zinni had been aiming for a declaration of a cease-fire Wednesday after he convened the joint American-Israeli-Palestinian security committee late Wednesday in a move intended to continue discussions on how to move into the Tenet truce outline.
The Palestinians are demanding that Israel pull back its troops to where they were on the eve of the outbreak of the intifada on September 28, 2000, and lift all the sieges and checkpoints, as stated by the plan hammered out last year by CIA Director George Tenet.
Israel wants the Palestinians to first take a series of steps against terrorist groups, including arrests, dismantling the militia, and collecting weapons.
( March 21, 2002)
