Powell urges deal on Gaza

The US assured Abbas it cared about Palestinian interests

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has called for an early deal to hand over the northern Gaza Strip and Bethlehem to the Palestinians, regardless of whether militants call a truce.

Israel's transfer of policing would be a "very, very powerful and important first step" towards implementing the "roadmap for peace", he said.

Mr Powell has met Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, known as Abu Mazen, during his visit to the region.

An Israeli motorist was shot dead in the West Bank in an attack claimed by the militant group Hamas. The US secretary of state described the group as "the enemy of peace".

A senior Hamas spokesman told the BBC on Friday that an announcement on a potential ceasefire should come early next week after long negotiations.

We should not in any way hold that activity [implementing the peace plan] hostage to what might or what might not be happening in the ceasefire... discussions

Colin Powell

Ismail Abu Shanab said the group was seriously considering proposals raised at talks with other Palestinians and he added that different Palestinian organisations were attempting to create a unified political front.

At the same time, he accused Mr Powell of encouraging Israel to step up military attacks on Palestinians.

The BBC's regional analyst, Roger Hardy, says that Mr Powell's own talks on Friday brought out essential differences between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on how to tackle Hamas.

While the US shares Israel's aim of disarming and dismantling the group, our correspondent says, Mr Abbas is offering it the chance to join a new government of national unity in exchange for renouncing violence.

'Encouraging signs'

As Mr Powell met Mr Sharon, gunmen shot dead an Israeli motorist near the city of Ramallah, wounding another three people in the car.

A statement faxed to news agencies by the armed wing of Hamas said the killing was a "tribute" to its members held in Israeli prisons.

ROADMAP'S PATH TO CRISIS

4 June: US-Jordanian-Israeli summit in Aqaba

8 June: Palestinian militant groups reject roadmap

10 June: Israel tries to kill Hamas leader Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi

11 June: 16 die in suicide attack on Jerusalem bus

19 June: Jewish settlers clash with Israeli troops dismantling a West Bank outpost

There could be "no justification" for terrorist acts, the American secretary of state said at a joint news conference.

However, he added: "We should not in any way hold that activity [implementing the peace plan] hostage to what might or what might not be happening in the ceasefire... discussions."

Washington had been "encouraged" by recent steps taken by Israel, notably the release of Palestinian prisoners and the dismantling of settler outposts in the West Bank, he added.

Mr Sharon reaffirmed his own support for the "roadmap" and described incidents surrounding the dismantling of settlement outposts this week as the "birth pains" of the peace process.

He also warned that if the Palestinian Authority did not "fight terror" there could be no political progress.

Urgency

After his talks in Jericho, Mr Powell said he had assured Mr Abbas of President George W Bush's personal commitment to improving the fortunes of the Palestinians.

He also called for urgent security reforms from the Palestinians.

ROADMAP MAIN POINTS

Phase 1: End to Palestinian violence; Palestinian political reform; Israeli withdrawal and freeze on settlement expansion; Palestinian elections

Phase 2: (end of 2003) Creation of an independent Palestinian state; international conference and international monitoring of compliance with roadmap

Phase 3 (2004-2005): Second international conference; permanent status agreement and end of conflict; agreement on final borders, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements; Arab states to agree to peace deals with Israel

Israel and the Palestinian Authority are already engaged in talks on replacing Israeli troops in northern Gaza with Palestinian security forces.

"We have to move urgently," Mr Powell said at a joint press conference with Mr Abbas.

"We don't want time to pass without action taking place... We don't want terrorists to win."

Mr Abbas called on Israel to release Palestinian prisoners, ease restrictions placed on movements by Palestinians and end "targeted killings".

He said that 47 Palestinians and 27 Israelis had been killed since the Aqaba peace summit on 4 June.

Hamas held a rally outside the Palestinian parliament in Gaza City on Friday to call for the release of all Palestinians held in Israeli jails.