Israel, Palestinians Stall on Gaza-Bethlehem Plan
An Israeli-Palestinian arrangement to ease Israel's military clampdown on Palestinian areas stalled on Saturday with violence in the Gaza Strip and the failure of joint security talks on a new Israeli pullout.

Israel pulled troops out of the West Bank city of Bethlehem early this week under a security deal which also called for lifting restrictions on Palestinian travel in Gaza in return for Palestinian security forces curbing violence in those areas.

But no such measures were seen in Gaza and a new round of talks failed to produce agreement on an Israeli withdrawal from Hebron, one of six West Bank cities that remain under a military reoccupation launched after suicide bombings in Israel in June.

``Israel has frozen the agreement,'' Nabil Abu Rdainah, a senior adviser to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, told Reuters on Saturday. ``The Israeli side has no intention to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza. Therefore there won't be any progress.''

The so-called ``Gaza-Bethlehem First'' plan has been viewed as a trial case for a wider cease-fire to end 22 months of bloodshed since a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation began in September 2000 after peace talks froze.

A senior diplomatic source in Jerusalem said a rash of shootings and an attempted attack on a Jewish settlement in Gaza had halted further progress in easing military blockades there.

The source was referring to an attempt by two Palestinian gunmen to infiltrate the Kfar Darom settlement on Friday. They were shot dead by Israeli troops on guard in the area.

On Saturday, Israeli troops demolished three Palestinian houses west of Kfar Darom near the town of Deir al-Balah, witnesses and security officials said.

Israeli and Palestinian security commanders held talks on Friday to lift restrictions in other West Bank areas, including Hebron, but the meeting broke off without agreement.

``The Israeli side said that at this stage it would not make any further security-related changes. These will depend on extended Palestinian action against terror,'' an army statement said, adding dialogue would resume soon.

But the diplomatic source said a pullout from Hebron may be delayed by at least one month due to warnings that Jewish pilgrims to the city revered as the burial place of Abraham may be targeted during a season of Jewish holidays in September.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a group linked to Arafat's Fatah movement, claimed responsibility for the attempted Gaza raid, a sign that an appeal by the Palestinian Authority for militant groups to exercise restraint had gone unheeded.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both sworn to Israel's destruction, rejected the plan, vowing to continue attacks against Israelis.

In Paris, an international task force including members of the ``quartet'' of Middle East peace brokers raised concern about ``the deteriorating Palestinian humanitarian situation'' due to prolonged Israeli military closures and curfews.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-mideast.html