Peace plan duo 'pleased' by talks

The Geneva plan was launched at a gala ceremony

The authors of an unofficial Middle East peace plan say they are encouraged after talks with US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Israel's Yossi Beilin and Palestinian Yasser Abed Rabbo believe Mr Powell sees their efforts as complimenting the US-backed peace "roadmap".

Israel says the plan is a surrender to Palestinian demands, while Palestinians have burned effigies of its authors.

In Cairo, Palestinian factions are continuing ceasefire talks.

Talks on the Geneva Accord went ahead despite strong objections from the Israeli government.

We were encouraged today by the words of Secretary Powell... Yasser Abed Rabbo

US officials insist the meeting was not a snub to Israel, and the BBC's Justin Webb, in Washington, says it is not an endorsement of the Geneva plan.

But our correspondent says it does seem to mark a new willingness by the Bush administration to do things despite disapproval from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Mr Abed Rabbo told reporters: "We were encouraged today by the words of Secretary Powell, as yesterday we were encouraged by the words of the president who described the Geneva Accord as constructive."

Demands

Meanwhile, Palestinian militant groups are considering a ceasefire under pressure from Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.

He is hoping to have something to offer Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when the pair meet.

GENEVA ACCORD: MAIN POINTS Israeli withdrawal from almost all West Bank and Gaza Shared sovereignty over Jerusalem Palestinian renunciation of "right of return" The Geneva accord explained Profile: Geneva peacemakers

Mr Qurei is expected to go to Cairo this weekend.

He has insisted that for a ceasefire to last, Israel must stop settlement activity, withdraw from Palestinian territories and stop targeting militants.

Israel expelled 12 Palestinian militants from the West Bank to Gaza Strip on Friday following a Supreme Court ruling that allowed the move.

It also allowed a Palestinian market to open in Hebron for the first time in over a year, despite the objections of Israeli settlers.

Demographics

Israel's centre-right government has condemned the unofficial peace plan, which was launched in Geneva on Monday.

Olmert and Sharon oppose the Geneva accord

But Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot that Israel would have to accept a Palestinian state for demographic reasons.

He said that due to Palestinians having a higher birth-rate than Jews, Israel had to withdraw from the Palestinian territories "to preserve our Jewish and democratic character".

He suggested Israel would withdraw to borders of its choosing to guarantee an 80% Jewish state, but did not outline specific details.

Roadmap

US President George W Bush says he still backs the official international plan - known as the roadmap.

However he has given his blessing to Mr Powell's meeting with the authors of the Geneva accord.

The two men were to hold talks with Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, but the meeting was cancelled.

Powell says he has the right to listen to ideas

The negotiators were also refused a meeting with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

Mr Powell has said he has a right to meet anyone with ideas on advancing peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

But he also defended the roadmap, saying it was "the only real plan that is out there that has been adopted by the parties".

Mr Powell was also meeting Jordan's King Abdullah, a leading regional moderate, on Friday.

The Geneva Accord calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state and the dismantling of most Jewish settlements, going beyond the roadmap.

It envisages shared sovereignty over Jerusalem and grants Israel the right to decide how many Palestinian refugees can return to Israel.