Israel seals Gaza despite Powell pledge

ISRAEL reimposed a travel ban on the Gaza Strip yesterday despite its pledge to Secretary of State Colin Powell for humanitarian gestures toward the Palestinians as part of a new peace plan he is promoting.

After talks with Mr Powell in Jerusalem on Sunday, the Israeli government agreed to free 180 Palestinian detainees and allow 25,000 Palestinian workers to enter Israel, security sources said.

The moves were apparently in response to Mr Powell's request that Israel and the Palestinians start practical, conciliatory steps even before Israel endorses the "road map" peace plan, which aims for an independent Palestinian state in 2005.