Arafat Welcomes New High - Level Contacts
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Saturday he welcomed the resumption of high-level contacts between the Israelis and Palestinians and was prepared for more contacts.

Arafat spoke briefly to reporters at his battered headquarters in Ramallah. His comments came a day after officials from both sides confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon held secret talks on Wednesday with Ahmed Qureia, a senior Palestinian negotiator.

``There is a decision within the Palestinian leadership to continue talks with the Israelis,'' Arafat said. ``We are ready for any talks as long as this might lead us to peace.''

It was Sharon's first meeting with a senior Palestinian figure in about a year. However, it was not clear whether the Sharon-Qureia meeting would lead to additional talks.

``You have to remember that I asked Sharon to resume negotiations with me and he rejected this,'' Arafat said.

Arafat called on Sharon to resume talks just after Sharon's Likud party won a convincing election victory on Jan. 28. Sharon publicly refused.

Sharon accuses Arafat of instigating violence and has called for his removal before peace talks with the Palestinians can resume.

The talks broke down two years ago, shortly before Sharon was elected prime minister.

Palestinian officials said the meeting lasted less than two hours, and the two discussed a possible cease-fire and ways of solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dov Weisglass, director-general of the Israeli prime minister's office also attended, the officials said.

Israeli officials would only confirm that such a meeting took place and that the two discussed the current conflict. Neither side gave additional details.

In another development, Palestinian Cabinet Minster Saeb Erekat said the U.S.-backed ``road map'' for restoring peace negotiations has been put on hold until a new Israeli government is formed.

``I call on the world community to focus on ways to revive the peace process in the region, and not on war in Iraq,'' Erekat said.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army on Saturday demolished the West Bank homes of two Palestinians who carried out a shooting attack this week that left two Israeli soldiers dead, soldiers said.

The shooting took place Wednesday night against the Israeli soldiers at an army post on Mount Gerizim, overlooking the Palestinian city of Nablus. The two Palestinian gunmen, Anan Hani and Ahmed Hamad, were also killed in the firefight.

Early Saturday, the army tore down the home of Hani, where nine people were living, and the house of Hamad, were seven people were living, witnesses said. The men lived in two villages just outside Nablus.

The Israeli military has torn down dozens of homes belonging to militants as part of an effort to discourage future attacks. Palestinians denounce the policy as collective punishment.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Israel-Palestinians.html