Agreement Reported at Sharm Summit
US President Bill Clinton announced at the summit’s close this afternoon that a ceasefire agreement had been reached between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The major points are as follows:
Both sides will call upon their people to stop the violence.
There will be an immediate cease-fire and a pullback of Israeli forces to their positions prior to the latest wave of violence.
Israel’s closure of all Palestinian autonomous areas is to be immediately rescinded.
Israel will re-open the Gaza Airport.
The US will lead a fact-finding committee to the region to investigate Palestinian claims of Israel human rights abuses with results to be published under US presidential auspices. Consultations will also be made with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Negotiations will resume in two weeks time.
No mention was made of Israel’s demands that the Tanzim (Fatah militia) be disarmed, and no comment was made about the two Jewish Holy Places destroyed by Arab rioters. Israel also demanded initially that the incitement of the PA be stopped. Both Hamas and Fatah leaderships have rejected the agreement.
Used with Permission from International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.