Rice in Middle East for More Peace Talks
By VOA News
06 November 2008
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Israel for more talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials on the regional peace process.
Rice will meet the caretaker Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni Thursday in Tel Aviv and go to Ramallah in the West Bank Friday for talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Rice has said the Bush administration will pursue Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking efforts until President Bush leaves office in January, though she conceded Thursday that appears increasingly unlikely.
Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas revived peace talks late last year with a desire to reach a final deal by the time Mr. Bush leaves office. But Israeli and Palestinian officials have expressed doubt a final peace deal can be reached by then.
Mr. Olmert is acting as Israel's caretaker prime minister after resigning from office last month to fight corruption allegations. He is expected to remain in his post until Israel holds early elections in February.
On Wednesday, Israeli officials said Palestinian militants fired dozens of rockets into southern Israel, after an Israeli raid Tuesday killed at least six militants in the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks, including one near the Israeli city of Ashkelon. There were no reports of casualties.
Israel's defense minister, Ehud Barak, told reporters on Wednesday, Israel had no intention of violating the truce but had to act to thwart a threat against Israeli soldiers. Israeli officials said they were targeting militants who were firing mortars at Israeli forces on Tuesday.
The cease-fire calls for Gaza militants to stop attacks on southern Israel and for Israel to stop military raids and air strikes in Gaza.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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