Israeli and Palestinian security officials meet Monday with U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni to discuss his latest cease-fire proposal. 

General Zinni's compromise plan was presented to the two sides during a security meeting Sunday. No details of the plan have been released. 

Meanwhile, 18 months of bloodshed in the region continues. Palestinians say a man was killed early today when Israeli forces entered the Rafah refugee camp near the border with Egypt in the Gaza Strip. 

The Israeli military says soldiers were looking for tunnels used to smuggle weapons across the border when clashes broke out with Palestinian gunmen. At least eight Palestinians and two Israelis were killed in several clashes on Sunday. 

Israel says, if a truce can be made to work, it will allow Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to attend the 22-member Arab League summit that begins Wednesday in Beirut, Lebanon. Arab foreign ministers began meeting today to prepare for the summit. 

Arab leaders will consider a Saudi plan calling for peace between Israel and the Arab world. Israel has said it is not willing to meet one of the proposal's conditions that calls for the return of all land taken in the 1967 Mideast War. 

Saudi officials say they will not formally make the proposal, unless Mr. Arafat attends the summit. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meets with his cabinet today to discuss allowing the Palestinian leader to attend. 

Israeli forces have confined Mr. Arafat to Ramallah in the West Bank since early December. 

The Washington Post (newspaper) reports today a warning by unnamed Israeli officials that if current truce efforts fail, the Israeli military is ready to launch operations against Palestinian-ruled areas on a larger scale than the incursions earlier this month. 

Vice President Cheney says Mr. Arafat should be allowed to attend. Mr. Cheney says it is not likely he will meet with Mr. Arafat before the summit, saying the Palestinian leadership needs to do more to stop Palestinian attacks against Israelis. 

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

Email this article to a friend.
Printer Friendly Version