Israel warns of attempt on Abbas’s life at summit

ISRAEL warned yesterday it has intelligence suggesting militants will try to disrupt its summit with Palestinians at an Egyptian Red Sea resort today.

Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said he has been told that militants, including the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, may attack the meeting.

He said the information was not concrete but that he could not rule out an attempt to assassinate new Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is to host the summit between Mr Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Sharm el-Sheik. Jordan’s King Abdullah is also due to attend the event, where it is believed that Israel and the Palestinians will announce a ceasefire.

It will be the first meeting of the Israeli and Palestinian leaders since Mr Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, succeeded Yasser Arafat.

“The first thing I care about is providing security to Israelis and then to give a limited opportunity to Abu Mazen and to the process and the dialogue opposite the Palestinian Authority,” Mofaz said.

It is also hoped that the meeting will lead to an announcement that Egypt and Jordan are ready to return their ambassadors to Tel Aviv.

In the past, US intervention has been necessary to secure any major advances, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said it would be good for regional leaders to push forward on their own.

The Israeli army later arrested a Palestinian woman they claimed was planning to carry out a suicide attack, saying she belonged to the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, linked to the mainstream Fatah movement headed by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.