Palestinian Prime Minister, Dr. Salaam Fayyad, will be holding a meeting on Monday afternoon with Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, to discuss issues related to the siege of Gaza and Israel’s settlement activities. Head of the State Information Center, Dr, Ghassan Ghateeb, told the Palestinian Radio that the meeting will not discuss peace talks with Israel, but will focus on finding the means to allow the Palestinian security forces to operate in areas A, B and C in the occupied West Bank.
Khateeb confirmed that the meeting will not discuss the U.S efforts to ensure direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas.
Khateeb added that the meeting aims at easing the living conditions of the Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority repeatedly requested to be allowed to operate in more areas in the West Bank especially after Europe and the United States provided training to the security forces and the police.
Under the Oslo agreement, the Palestinian security forces and police can operate in areas ‘A’ while the Israeli army operates in other Palestinian territories including areas that are under full Israeli security and civil control.
