Contacts Begin on Lifting Siege on Arafat

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, September 23, 2002

Contacts Begin on Lifting Siege on Arafat

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Palestinian and Israeli officials have begun contacts on an end to the siege on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Israeli Ha'aretz Daily reported on Monday.

Meanwhile, negotiations are being held on the surrender of 19 wanted Palestinians holed up with Arafat inside the compound. According to the report, some 200 people are confined to the badly damaged compound.

Under the pressure from the United States, the Israeli troops pulled out bulldozers Sunday following the demolition of most of the buildings in the compound. They also and allowed a delivery of provisions, including food and water.

"Israeli actions in and around Al Muqataa (Arafat's compound) are not helpful in reducing terrorist violence or promoting Palestinian reforms," White House spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo said on Sunday.

While urging Israel to "continue considering the consequences ofits actions," the spokeswoman also strongly condemned the Palestinian suicide bombings and called on the Palestinians to stopsuch attacks.

In a revenge for two suicide bombing attacks which left seven people dead, the Israeli troops reimposed siege on Arafat's Ramallah compound on Thursday, demanding the hand-over of 19 Palestinians wanted by Israel.

Arafat has reportedly offered to rein in the armed groups responsible for terror attacks, in exchange for an end to the siegeon his Ramallah compound.

The proposal was made over the weekend to Jordanian and Egyptianofficials via a senior Palestinian official.

The idea was reported to be based on the deal that brought to anend the month-long siege on the Church of the Nativity in May, whereby the wanted men in the church were exiled to the Gaza Strip and to several European countries.

But a Palestinian official has denied that the proposal includes any deal to exile the 19 wanted men staying in Arafat's compound, saying the Palestinian side would restrain armed militants, including the Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Islamic Jihad (Holy War).

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