Palestinians call for US pressure

JERUSALEM - The Palestinian Authority has appealed to the United States to intervene and staunch a new wave of Middle East violence.

Meanwhile, Israeli leaders are at loggerheads over ways to end the bloodshed.

The Palestinians have written to US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell, urging Washington to play a broader role in backing a truce plan led by former US senator George Mitchell.

The Palestine Liberation Organisation spokesman in the US, Hassan Abdel Rahman, said the message called on the US "to pressure Israel to stop Israeli crimes against Palestinians" and to "shoulder its responsibilities and allow the deployment of international observers".

The Mitchell plan calls for an end to violence, followed by confidence-building measures to pave the way for peace talks.

Separately, the White House called again yesterday for both sides to end more than 10 months of bloodshed, warning that "continuing down this path will only lead to disaster".

At least 513 Palestinians, 131 Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs have been killed since a Palestinian revolt against Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza flared in late September after peace talks stalled.

Right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his dovish Foreign Minister Shimon Peres cannot agree over how to induce the Palestinians to enforce a ceasefire brokered by the US in June.

Israeli political sources say Peres has sought high-level dialogue with the Palestinians but Sharon wants further pressure on Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and will not hold talks until the violence ends.

- REUTERS

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