Abbas to visit Jordan on Wed. for meeting with Bush

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Jordan on Wednesday where he is expected to hold talks with U.S. President George W. Bush, Palestinian sources said on Monday.

Abbas and Bush are likely to meet in Jordan's port city of Aqaba after Bush to hold joint meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Jordanian King Abdullah II, the sources told the independent news agency of Ramattan.

The meeting between Abbas and Bush, the first time since Hamas took power in March, would focus on the general situation in the Palestinian territories, especially a fresh ceasefire deal with Israel, the sources said.

Moreover, Abbas and Bush are also expected to discuss the latest developments concerning the formation of a new government of national unity.

On Sunday, the truce between Palestinian militants and Israelis went into effect, ending a five-month Israeli military offensive in Gaza in the wake of the abduction of an Israeli soldier.

However, only hours after the truce took effect, Palestinian militants fired homemade rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot.

Despite the Palestinian violation of the truce, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that Israel would display "patience and restraint," as the truce is still holding.

Earlier Monday morning, two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces, after entering Qabatiya district in northern West Bank town of Jenin, where the Israelis confronted with the Palestinian militants.

Also on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in a major policy speech that Israel is ready to free "many" Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel in exchange for the return of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, raising hopes to solve stalemate.

According to radio Voice of Palestine, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to visit the region and oversee a long-delayed summit between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Meanwhile, the Israeli radio has also reported Abbas-Olmert summit has been scheduled, adding the meeting would be in the near future and Rice would attend it.

So far, Abbas and Olmert has not met since June when the Palestinian militants kidnapped the Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit in Gaza.

Source: Xinhua