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Palestinians Demand Israeli Withdrawal From Occupied Territories
The Palestinians have demanded Israel withdraw its troops from all Palestinian territories it occupied in the 1967 Middle East War, Egypt's Al Akhbar daily reported on Monday.
The Palestinians made the demand during a security meeting held in Cairo overnight, which were also attended by intelligence officials of Egypt and the United States, said the newspaper, which usually reflects views of the government.
Mohammed Sobeih, Palestinian permanent delegate to the Cairo- based Arab League, said the demand "is clear and specific," adding that Israel must end its brutalities against the Palestinians and the blockade on the Palestinian territories.
The security talks were aimed at exploring "adequate" ways to bring about security and stability in the Palestinian territories, the Arabic-language paper said.
Palestinian officials told the paper that during the talks, the participants discussed ways of implementing the Sharm el Sheikh accord, reached at a Mideast summit in Egypt last October, and called for Israel to withdraw troops from Palestinian towns they garrisoned after the eruption of the Palestinian-Israeli clashes.
During the summit, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak agreed to take measures to stop the bloody clashes between Israeli troops and unarmed Palestinian civilians.
The violence, triggered by a provocative visit on September 28 by Israel's hawkish opposition Likud party leader Ariel Sharon to an Islamic holy site in East Jerusalem, has so far left nearly 370 people dead, most of them Palestinians, and thousands of others wounded.
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