Abbas, Sharon declare end to violence
Two sides still disagree on many issues, including fence and settlements, Palestinian leader says. Time to give Palestinians their freedom, Sharon says
The Palestinian Authority and Israel have agreed to suspend all forms of violence, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said at Tuesday's summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
"The year 2005 offers a big opportunity for the region's nations," Sharon said in his speech, following his meeting with Abbas.
He said the disengagement plan offers genuine hope, and added that he wishes to assure the Palestinians that Israel does not want to rule over them or control their destiny.
The two sides have also agreed on the handover of West Bank towns to the Palestinians, Sharon said.
He congratulated Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas for leading his people to a life of peace and quiet “until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state”.
Sharon, who has now officially abandoned his unilateral plan said, “If indeed a change would come from the Palestinian side, the Gaza disengagement may bring hope and turn into a new starting point for a coordinated and successful process.”
He said the disengagement might pave the way for the implementation of the Road Map.
“We have taken a number of rapid steps and we would take additional trust-enhancing measures – the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in the near future and the establishment of a joint forum to examine the release of prisoners in the future,” Sharon said.
He said extremists from both sides want to close the window of opportunity and let the two nations “wallow in their own blood”.
“My answer to them is this: We must all declare here today that violence would not be victorious; it would not kill the hope,” Sharon said.
He concluded his speech by addressing the Israelis directly, saying the country must make “painful decisions” to attain peace.
Still facing disagreements
Abbas said he is renewing his call for peace.
“We will fill all our obligations with the help of our brothers in Egypt and Jordan and the international quartet,” he said. “We will implement the rule of law and the reform; the language of negotiation will replace the language of gunfire.”
The two sides still face many disagreements on issues such as the West Bank security fence and settlements, Abbas said.
“We could not reach an agreement on everything today,” he said. “But we have implemented the first phase of the Road Map.”
Abbas said the Sharm summit marks a first step toward narrowing the gap between Israelis and Palestinians ahead of a final-status agreement.
He said the Palestinian people chose the path of true peace when they went to the ballots less than a month ago following Yasser Arafat’s demise.
Syria may be included in peace initiative
Progress in the peace process depends on the implementation of steps agreed upon by the two sides, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said earlier.
"What is needed is a political momentum that would include Syria, too," he said.
The Egyptian leader called for a just solution to the conflict, based on two states for the two people.
"We are meeting to end the bloodshed and move the peace wagon forward once again," he said. "We have taken the first step toward that end, and we identify a positive wind from both sides."
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators reached four main understandings last night: An Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire; the transfer of military responsibility to the Palestinians in five West Bank towns; an agreement whereby the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would be considered a part of the Road Map; a general declaration regarding the "comprehensiveness of the process" and a commitment to end the Israeli-Palestinian strife - as a hint to the inclusion of Syria in the process.
Hamas not on board just yet
Although Abbas told U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday that he has reached a truce (Hudna) with the armed Palestinian factions, Hamas and Islamic Jihad members say they are not entirely committed to the new agreements with Israel.
"It all depends on the position Israel would take and the summit's results," senior Hamas member Khaled Mashal said.
See also:
