Palestinians and Israelis meeting in Jerusalem

Israeli and Palestinian officials, including Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian parliament speaker Mr Ahmad…

Israeli and Palestinian officials, including Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian parliament speaker Mr Ahmad Qorei, are to meet today in Jerusalem, a high-ranking Palestinian official said.

The meeting comes in the wake of a suicide bombing in Jerusalem last night which killed 11 Israelis, and the destruction of Palestinian Authority leader Mr Yasser Arafat’s headquarters on the Gaza Strip.

The head of Shin Beth, Israel's internal security services, Mr Avi Dichter, will also attend the meeting, as well as top Palestinian negotiator Mr Saeb Erakat and Gaza Strip Palestinian preventative security chief Mr Mohammed Dahlan, the source said.

The previous meeting between Mr Qorei and Mr Peres, who drafted a ceasefire plan together, was due to take place last week but was cancelled when an Israeli shell hit Mr Arafat's compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah, as the Palestinian leader was meeting European Union envoy Miguel Angel Moratinos.

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AFP