Middle East's bloodiest day in years may herald peace

11.45am

French condemnation and US demands for peace are among factors that have prompted Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to drop his insistence on a week free of Palestinian attacks ahead of any truce deal.

French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said on Friday the Israeli government seemed intent on killing Palestinians and called for an immediate ceasefire and fresh peace talks.

"The Israeli government seems to have given carte blanche to its army to 'kill many Palestinians', according to the terms of (Israeli Prime Minister) Ariel Sharon himself," Vedrine said in a statement.

Israeli forces today (NZT) inflicted the bloodiest losses on Palestinians in a single day since 1987 - bringing to 40 the total people killed. The fierce Israeli raids followed a deadly attack on a Jewish settlement.

The United States today NZT called for immediate implementation of an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan agreed to last year, even before Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni begins a new mission there next week.

A US official said the Bush administration wanted to see action on the ground "as quickly as possible," not necessarily after the seven days of calm demanded by Israel last year.

"Israelis would be happy for a single day without a terrorist attack or a suicide bomber. Let's just get there," said Israeli embassy spokesman Mark Regev.

US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: "Zinni's goal is to get the parties to implement the Tenet security work plan steps immediately, to get them to take steps even before he gets there."

Sharon has been demanding the seven days of absolute calm since June as a condition for steps by Israel. Powell, visiting Israel then, reluctantly agreed to his timetable.

The Tenet plan, drafted by CIA director George Tenet earlier the same month, has never been officially released.

But leaked texts say Israel and the Palestinian Authority should immediately resume security cooperation, enforce a cease-fire, exchange information on threats and start work on a plan to redeploy Israeli forces.

In the first week, however, it does not require Israel to take any steps that it might be reluctant to take, such as moving its forces back or easing the restrictions on the movements of Palestinians -- a major Palestinian grievance.

Such steps need start only on the eight or ninth day after the first security cooperation meeting, the plan says.

Boucher used language almost as strong on Friday. "Prime Minister Sharon has to take a hard look at his policies to see whether they will work. Declaring war against the Palestinians and attempting to solve the problem through military action doesn't lead us anywhere," he said.

He criticised Israel's assassination of prominent Palestinians and attacks on ambulances and hospitals.

"Israel needs to ensure that maximum care is taken to prevent harm to humanitarian workers, and that procedures are put in place that allow safe and secure passage for humanitarian purposes through Israeli checkpoints," he said.

He also repeated the US appeal to Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to do more to crack down on militants.

Boucher said the decision to send Zinni back to the Middle East was a response to the "really horrific violence" of the last few days, in which scores of people have been killed.

Zinni, a retired Marine Corps general, will probably leave for the Middle East in the middle of next week, accompanied by veteran mediator Aaron Miller, the official added.

US President George W. Bush on Thursday made the surprise announcement that Zinni will return to the Middle East, after US officials said repeatedly that he would not go back unless the level of violence fell significantly.

The US official, who asked not to be named, said the decision was taken only hours before the announcement but had been under consideration since the violence escalated.

"Just look at how the pace and scope of the violence has gone beyond anything we have seen before. ... Clearly we felt we had to do something," he added.

He played down speculation that the Zinni mission was meant to placate the Arab leaders who will meet Vice President Dick Cheney next week and who would otherwise press on him the need for US mediation in the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Cheney will visit 12 Middle Eastern and European countries in 10 days, mainly to explain Washington's commitment to the removal of Irraqi President Saddam Hussein.

- REUTERS

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