JERUSALEM - Israel has partially lifted a six-month ban on Palestinian labourers crossing into its territory and voiced regret over its troops firing on a convoy carrying Palestinian security chiefs.
But Israeli diplomatic sources said security talks with Palestinians that the sides had agreed to hold yesterday had been cancelled. Palestinian officials said their leaders had never decided whether to meet the Israelis.
In the West Bank, a 40-year-old Palestinian was shot dead in the village of Beitunia, the latest victim of more than six months of Israeli-Palestinian violence.
And an Israeli spokesman said Palestinians had vandalised the Karni crossing point where the sides transfer goods between Israel and Gaza, forcing Israel to close it.
An official spokesman said Israel had issued permits for 3200 Palestinian labourers to cross into Israel to work. He said up to 1000 were expected to resume work in Israel yesterday.
Citing security reasons at the start of the Palestinian uprising more than six months ago, Israel imposed a blockade on Palestinian areas from which up to 120,000 labourers travelled to Israel.
At least 370 Palestinians, 71 Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs have been killed since the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation erupted.
Palestinians believe the restrictions are a collective punishment for the uprising. They say the blockades have lead to high unemployment and dealt a blow to the fragile Palestinian economy.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expressed regret for last week's convoy incident in a letter to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, Sharon's spokesman Raanan Gissin said.
Two Palestinian bodyguards were slightly injured by shrapnel.
"We said we regretted that these kinds of incidents occurred ... It was regret that was expressed because there is no coordination on security with the Palestinian Authority," Gissin said.
The Army said at the time that soldiers at a crossing between Israel and Palestinian-ruled Gaza had fired in response to shots from the convoy. Palestinians denied firing shots and accused Israel of deliberately targeting them.
Washington, the traditional chief mediator in Middle East peacemaking, had called the incident "very serious."
Gissin said Israel had also voiced regret in a report to Palestinian security forces.
- REUTERS
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Palestinians labourers allowed back into Israel
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