Israel accused of violating ceasefire as Abbas sees diplomats

Gaza City, Dec 02: Palestinians accused Israel of violating a fragile Gaza Strip ceasefire today as Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas was to see European diplomats for a string of meetings aimed at reviving stalled peace talks.

Palestinian security sources said an Israeli naval vessel dealt the truce a fresh blow when it fired at three Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Rafah in south Gaza.

But the Israeli military emphatically rejected the reports.

"We categorically deny the existence of this incident," a spokeswoman told media persons. "There were no shootings by any Navy boat this morning."

If the Palestinian allegations are true, it would be the first time Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement since it took effect last Sunday at dawn.

The reported incident came as Abbas was due to sit down with the Foreign Ministers of Austria and Germany, Ursula Plassinik and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and the European Union`s top diplomat Javier Solana, amid revived hopes of kick starting the stalled middle east peace process.

The ceasefire on which that peace process now hinges took effect six days ago and calls for Palestinian militants to halt rocket attacks against the Jewish state in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian militants have violated the ceasefire four times since the agreement came into force by firing rockets at Israel. In the most recent Palestinian violation, a rocket landed in an uninhabited area of the western Negev desert yesterday.

Bureau Report