welve militant groups held a meeting in the Gaza Strip last week, and agreed to form a joint operations room to coordinate resistance activities, Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman told reporters Thursday.
Even if the PA agrees that some settlement blocs will remain in Israeli hands in a future agreement, Abbas cannot agree to a continuation of construction during direct talks, says a senior source.
A senior European official expressed skepticism about the resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian talks in Washington and stressed the influence of the Jewish lobby in the US.
Heading into a White House dinner Wednesday evening with President Obama and the Jordanian and Egyptian leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas outlined their bottom lines: security and recognition for the Jewish state, settlement halts and final-status negotiations for Abbas.
Pope Benedict XVI Thursday called for a Middle East peace agreement that is respectful of the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians, during a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
