Associated Press
JERUSALEM — Against a backdrop of ongoing violence, senior Israeli and Palestinian leaders have quietly held top-level talks in recent days, and Yasser Arafat issued a call Saturday for further discussions.
The meetings, while producing no breakthroughs so far, mark a shift for the antagonists, who had broken off virtually all contacts in recent weeks as the fighting intensified and they traded bitter recriminations.
Arafat, speaking in the West Bank city of Ramallah where he has been confined for the past two months, said the two sides were holding talks on both security and political issues. "I have given my directions to continue with these meetings," he said.
Israel says it will not let Arafat leave Ramallah until he arrests more militants, and it has stationed several tanks less than 100 yards from his compound for the past two weeks.
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