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Arafat Regrets Continued Israeli Attacks on Palestinians
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat Friday expressed regrets over the continued Israeli missile attacks on Palestinian towns regardless of the intensive diplomatic efforts by international mediators in the region.
"The Palestinians are an invincible people who will never bow to the Israeli attacks," Arafat told reporters after meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjoern Jagland.
He reiterated appeals for Israel to accurately implement signed accords with the Palestinians, and called for an immediate ceasefire as well as the formation of an international fact-finding committee to probe into the current bloody clashes.
For his part, the Norwegian minister said the regional situation is still difficult, highlighting the necessity for reaching ceasefire as soon as possible.
The minister said he discussed a number of proposals with Arafat and is going to review them with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Bin-Ami when he visits Israel.
Asked about Israel's attempts to block all ways to peace, he said Israel should open the door for peace. He urged all parties concerned to work responsibly for the peace process which was launched in 1993 in Oslo, capital of Norway.
Meanwhile, Arafat met EU special envoy to the Middle East Miguel Moratinos on the grave situation in the region which was further escalated by Israeli air strikes on Palestinian targets in Gaza City and the West Bank city of Ramallah Thursday afternoon.
The air raids were carried out in retaliation for the killing of two Israeli soldiers by a Palestinian crowd in Ramallah.
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