Some West Bank Restrictions Are Eased

Israel's defense minister said on Monday he hoped to hold security talks with Palestinians in the next few days, but the killing of a teen-aged Palestinian girl only hours before dented hopes of reviving dialogue.

Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer's comment on Army radio followed a decision by Israel on Sunday to ease some restrictions on Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and an announcement by the United States that it plans talks with the Palestinians this week.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon meanwhile has announced the easing of restrictions after thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank town of Nablus defied the army's five-week-old curfew Sunday by going into the markets and opening offices, as Israeli soldiers stood by.

"So many of our people are suffering from hunger, and others couldn't get medicine, so we have to get our rights by ourselves," said one of the protest organizers, Nablus city governor Mahmoud Alol.

The other organizer of the protest was Fatah, the Palestinian faction led by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

The resumption of talks had raised hopes of a breakthrough to stem the bloodshed but any optimism has been tempered by new violence, including the killing of a 13-year-old Palestinian girl by rampaging Jewish settlers on Sunday.

"This week I expect to start security contacts with the Palestinian leadership," Ben-Eliezer said, suggesting talks could begin with Palestinian Interior Minister Abdel Razzak al-Yahya or another official of similar rank on Monday or Tuesday.

"I hope it will go well. Then it will be possible to say that we are starting in a direction which we might expect will bring stability in the area," said Ben-Eliezer.

There was no immediate comment from Palestinian leaders.

They welcomed the resumption of talks between Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian moderates earlier this month following a four-month freeze, but both sides say they are not peace talks.

Peres met Sunday in Paris with the foreign minister of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, for talks both sides describe as "positive."

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ruled out peace talks in the near future. But he announced plans on Sunday to ease restrictions in the West Bank where troops have 700,000 Palestinians under curfew following a wave of suicide bombings.

Sharon's office said he had ordered cutting the duration of curfews, issuing work permits for 12,000 Palestinians and dismantling some checkpoints. An Israeli political source said the checkpoints are "mostly minor."

In other gestures following an internationally-condemned air strike that killed 15 people in Gaza last week, Israel agreed to hand over $15 million of tax funds frozen after Palestinians rose up against Israeli occupation in September 2000.

The Palestinians say the curfews and frequent army raids have increased tensions and blocked efforts to end the violence, in which at least 1,470 Palestinians and 564 Israelis have been killed in the last 22 months.

Israel says Palestinian militants are to blame for fuelling tensions by continuing suicide bombings and other attacks.

In the latest raids, the army said it had arrested two top militants on Sunday close to the headquarters of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

It said Hussein Abu Kwaik, long on Israel's wanted list, and Freij Rumeidah had been planning attacks on Israelis.

The raid followed a surge of violence since the Israeli air strike in Gaza City last Tuesday killed the commander of the military wing of the Islamic militant group Hamas and 14 other people, including nine children.

About 100 Jewish settlers went on the rampage in Hebron as they mourned a soldier killed in a Palestinian ambush. Palestinian witnesses say that during the rampage, the Jewish settlers shot dead a 13-year-old Palestinian girl and wounded nine other people.

Israel Radio said at least 15 police were hurt in scuffles with settlers. Israeli police, who say Palestinian stone-throwers provoked the violence, have arrested four Israelis.

Residents of Mazra al-Sharkiya, a Palestinian village east of Ramallah, said a man was killed and another wounded on Sunday by Israeli machinegun fire from a tank. Israeli military sources said the men had attacked an army patrol with concrete blocks.

The violence has dented hopes of progress at the series of talks that have been announced.

They include a meeting in Washington next week that will be the most senior contact between U.S. and Palestinian Authority officials since President Bush called last month for Palestinian President Yasser Arafat - whom Israel considers a "terrorist" to be sidelined.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Saturday the talks would take place on August 5-6, with a delegation including himself and al-Yahya, who supervises the Palestinian security forces.