US concern over new Palestinian 'alliance'

The Fatah movement is seeking militants' help

The United States has expressed "serious concern" about reports of close co-operation between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's forces and militant Islamist groups to direct the uprising in the West Bank and Gaza.

I think (there are) people within the Palestinian territories, that are not within total control of Chairman Arafat, but I do think (he) can dramatically reduce the level of violence

President Bill Clinton

President Clinton also tried to put more pressure on Mr Arafat by saying the Palestinian leader was able to "dramatically reduce the level of violence" in the West Bank and Gaza.

More than 130 Palestinians have died in nearly four weeks of clashes with the Israeli army, despite attempts to establish a ceasefire brokered by the US.

But correspondents say the past 24 hours have been among the quietest since the beginning of this new Palestinian uprising.

Israeli and Palestinian security officials met in Gaza to try to cool tension. But Israeli officials said no progress was made.

US concern has been raised by reports in The Washington Post that Mr Arafat had formed "a working alliance" with Palestinian radicals he had previously put in jail.

Dozens of members of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Islamic Jihad have been freed in recent days to help co-ordinate Palestinian resistance to the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the newspaper reported.

President Clinton wants Yasser Arafat to do more

"It's an issue of serious concern, and we will continue to monitor it through our embassy and our consulate there," said US State Department spokesman Philip Reeker.

"The Palestinian Authority has obligations to carry out its commitments, particularly the fight against terrorism, and to apprehend, to prosecute and to bring to justice those involved in terrorist acts," he added.

BBC correspondent Barbara Plett says the existence of a committee including representatives from all the Palestinian factions, including Mr Arafat's Fatah movement and the Islamist Hamas, raises questions about a possible hardening of Mr Arafat's position.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, has moved to form a new coalition government with the right-wing Likud party, which is strongly opposed to the peace process.

Clinton's plea

President Clinton remained upbeat about hopes for renewed talks between the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships, but appealed again for an end to the violence.

Hamas has warned Mr Arafat not to meet President Clinton

"I think that, you know, there are probably some people within the Palestinian territories, and probably some people within Israel, that are not within total control of Chairman Arafat or even the Israeli Government," Mr Clinton said.

"But I do think Chairman Arafat can dramatically reduce the level of violence."

On Tuesday the White House said Mr Clinton had proposed that Mr Arafat and Mr Barak come to Washington to meet separately with him.

But Hamas issued a warning on Wednesday against a new meeting with President Clinton.

"We warn (Arafat) against going to such a meeting that our people view as a new plot to block the Intifada," Hamas said in a statement received in Damascus.

Gunfire

Although confrontations in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories were less fierce than in previous days, gunmen opened fire on a Jewish settlement near Jerusalem.

A police spokesman said gunmen in the West Bank village of Beit Jala fired at the Jewish settlement of Gilo, which Israelis consider to be a neighbourhood of Jerusalem.

Israeli troops returned machine-gun fire and tanks fired two shells at targets in Beit Jala.

No injuries were reported.

The shooting came as Palestinian Major-General Abdel-Razek al-Majaydeh wrapped up talks with Israeli Major-General Yom-Tov Samia, chief of Israel's southern command, aimed at "lowering significantly the level of friction and violence".

Similar talks have been held several times since clashes erupted on 28 September, but a senior Israeli official said Wednesday's meeting was the first in about two weeks.