Middle East: US officials held talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders yesterday in an attempt to shore up the standing of the embattled Palestinian Prime Minister, Mr Mahmoud Abbas.
Meanwhile spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin warned that if Israel did not release large numbers of Palestinian prisoners in its jails, then the truce declared last week would collapse.
After meeting Egyptian officials who were in Gaza to bolster the three-month ceasefire declared by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Mr Yassin warned: "Our patience has its limits."
He was referring to Israel's refusal to release prisoners belonging to the two radical Islamic groups, but he said his movement was still committed to the temporary truce.
Some Israeli sources have said that a small number of Hamas and Islamic Jihad prisoners may be included in upcoming releases. However, a Cabinet Minister Ms Tzipi Livni said such a move would contradict the road map peace plan, which requires that the Palestinian Authority dismantle armed groups.
"Under the road map to which they are committed," Ms Livni said, "the Palestinians must act against terrorist organisations, that is to say, they have a specific obligation under the road map to arrest Hamas and Islamic Jihad members"
Violence has tapered significantly since the truce went into effect on June 29th, but on Tuesday night, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man during an operation aimed at arresting a militant.
Fearing that growing tension between Mr Abbas and the Palestinian Authority President, Mr Yasser Arafat, could threaten the US-backed peace plan, American officials yesterday pushed Israel to make concessions to bolster support for the Palestinian prime minister.
Mr Abbas tendered his resignation on Tuesday from the central committee of the ruling Fatah Party, following fierce criticism of his handling of talks with Israel. He met Fatah officials yesterday who tried to convince him to rescind his resignation. As a result of the criticism, he is demanding that Fatah leaders put in writing the negotiating strategy they want him to adopt, but he has said he will quit if the guidelines are not acceptable to him.
The internal friction is the result of the ongoing showdown between Mr Abbas and Mr Arafat, who is disgruntled at having been frozen out of negotiations and wants to show he still holds ultimate authority.
The US wants Israel to release more than the 350 prisoners it has indicated it will free and it wants the Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, to speed up the dismantling of illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mr Dan Kurtzer, yesterday met the Defence Minister, Mr Shaul Mofaz, and pushed him on both issues. Since Israel began removing outposts three weeks ago, the settlers have set up almost the same number of outposts which have been dismantled. US special envoy Mr John Wolf yesterday met the Palestinian Minister for Security Affairs, Mr Mohammed Dahlan. Today, Mr Dahlan will meet Mr Mofaz for further discussions on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from West Bank cities.
In another move to help Mr Abbas, officials in Washington said yesterday that the State Department has approved the transfer of $20 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority.
