JERUSALEM/GAZA STRIP: U.S. PEACE ENVOY DENNIS ROSS MEETS WITH PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT BUT FAILS TO SECURE ANY AGREEMENT ON HEBRON

Record ID: 350297

  • Title: JERUSALEM/GAZA STRIP: U.S. PEACE ENVOY DENNIS ROSS MEETS WITH PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT YASSER ARAFAT BUT FAILS TO SECURE ANY AGREEMENT ON HEBRON
  • Date: 7th January 1997
  • Summary: JERUSALEM/ GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP (JANUARY 7, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) JERUSALEM 1. LV MEETING/SV BENJAMIN NETANYAHU GOING TO PODIUM 0.20 2. CU CAMERAMAN 0.23 3. MCU NETANYAHU SPEAKING TO JEWISH LEADERS SAYING THAT BOTH SIDES HAD ALREADY REACHED AN AGREEMENT ON HEBRON BUT ADDING THAT THE PALESTINIANS ARE DELAYING THE
  • Embargoed: 22nd January 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JERUSALEM/ GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP
  • City:
  • Country: Israel
  • Reuters ID: LVAE25K3M9R5KMP771Z2B0NNA4WX
  • Story Text: INTRO: United States peace envoy Dennis Ross met with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat for more than five hours in an attmept to secure a timing on Israeli troop redeployment in Hebron, and other West Bank communities, but failed to secure any agreement.

    Following Tuesday's (January 7) meeting in Arafat's Gaza City headquarters, Ross said that both sides had engaged in serious negotiations while attempting to work through their differences, but added that an agreement had not yet been reached.

    Palestinians had said that an Israeli demand to delay by two years a promised troop pullback from West Bank villageswas a key obstacle to a deal on handing over most of Hebron town to Palestinian self-rule.

    Arafat spokesman Marwan Kanafani said the further redeployment issue was the focus of a "tense" meeting between Arafat and Ross.

    "The meeting upstairs is extremely tense because of the statements that were made today destroyed all hopes that we could reach an agreement," Kanafani said, adding "If such statements are made now before the signing of the agreement that would negate all the purpose of the agreement." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the sides had agreed on most points and it would soon be evident if a deal had been reached.

    Speaking to a group of Jewish leaders in Jerusalem earlier in the day he said that the negotiations were in their final stages.

    Israel's handover of most of Hebron has been delayed for 10 months over security concerns and violence. The volatile city is home to 400 Jewish settlers and 100,000 Palestinians.


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