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Peres Holds Secret Negotiations With Palestinians
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Saturday that he has been conducting secret talks with senior Palestinians officials in order to end the Israeli- Palestinian conflict and resume peace talks.
"I have been negotiating with seiner Palestinian officials for some time and if progress was made, I will report to the prime minister and the government," Peres told Israel Radio.
Peres said the senior Palestinian officials he has been talking with including Ahmed Quria, also known as Abu Ala, speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Peres insisted that the talks with the Palestinians are the only way to end the six-month-old conflict.
On whether to hold negotiations with the Palestinians, a senior official close to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Saturday that Sharon expressed his view that he should immediately resume negotiations with the Palestinians if Palestinian National Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat declares to fight against terrorists.
If Arafat takes measures to controlled the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the Islamic Jihad (Islamic freedom fighters), the Tanzim (the Palestinian military group within the main political faction of Fatah) and Hezbollah (the Party of God of Lebanon), then Sharon will restart peace talks with the Palestinians, the official said.
It was reported that Arafat has ordered the Palestinian security forces to take actions against Hamas and at least three Hamas cells haven been destroyed and eight members arrested.
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