The Palestinian Authority will announce a formal cease-fire with Israel at next week's summit in Sharm e-Sheikh, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) said Thursday. Abbas is expected to hold a series of meetings over the next few days with senior PA and Fatah officials to prepare for the summit. Many Palestinians here expressed hope that the summit would mark the beginning of a new era in relations with Israel. "The most important thing is to secure the release of all the prisoners held in Israel," said a top Fatah official.
| I'd say the most important thing is to stop killing people. That's how those beauzeaux got to be in prison in the first place. Any release should be the very last occurrance... |
"The people want to see real changes on the ground, and such a step would restore their confidence in the peace process. It will also boost Abu Mazen's status." But a newspaper editor cautioned against "excessive optimism," saying it was premature to talk about a major breakthrough. |