DATE=04/05/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=CQ ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS (S)

NUMBER=2-288364

BYLINE= ROSS DUNN

DATELINE=JERUSALEM

CONTENT=

/// FIXING INTRO, TO SAY MEETING HAS BEGUN. NO OTHER CHANGES ///

INTRO: U-S mediator Anthony Zinni met with Yasser Arafat at the Palestinian leader's besieged headquarters Friday, as Israel's offensive against Palestinian militants entered its second week. General Zinni became the first senior official in eight days to meet with Mr. Arafat, who has been confined by Israel to a few rooms in his West Bank headquarters since last week. Ross Dunn in Jerusalem has more on the story.

TEXT: Prime Minister Sharon told Mr. Zinni, a retired general, that he could meet today with Mr. Arafat in the Palestinian leader's besieged headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Mr. Sharon gave his backing to the move, the first time he has made such a concession, after vowing to keep the Palestinian leader isolated from the outside world, as part of Israel's military offensive in the West Bank.

The Israeli Prime Minister on Thursday refused to allow a high-level European Union delegation to see Mr. Arafat.

In a meeting with Mr. Zinni on Thursday, Mr. Sharon said the Israeli military operations in the West Bank would continue, in order that, in his words, "Palestinian terror and its organizers be suppressed".

Mr. Sharon's comments came after President George W. Bush called on Israel to withdraw its troops and announced he was dispatching Secretary of State Colin Powell to the region. (SIGNED)

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