Peace initiative doubts as Abbas ready to free killer

ISRAEL put in question peacemaking moves yesterday after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would free a militant jailed over the killing of an Israeli minister.

Mr Abbas said Ahmed Saadat, accused by Israel of ordering the assassination in 2001, would be freed after the long-delayed Israeli pullback of troops from Jericho due to happen yesterday.

"We will weigh carefully if there is any way of continuing the process when the message from Abu Mazen's (Mr Abbas) side is becoming so contrary to the new spirit," Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told Israel Radio.

Israeli security sources said the Jericho pull-back would go ahead as scheduled, but further measures might depend on whether Saadat and others really were released.

Mr Abbas's announcement could strengthen his position ahead of talks he is due to start in Cairo, where he wants to persuade militant groups to formalise the ceasefire he agreed with Israel on February 8. But it appeared to raise questions over Israel's pullback from five West Bank cities, agreed on Monday, and other promised steps like prisoner releases.

Israeli troops are due to leave one checkpoint near Jericho today, a desert city where Saadat is incarcerated along with three militants accused of involvement in the killing of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi.

Senior Palestinian officials dismissed suggestions from Israel that they had given assurances that those accused over Mr Zeevi's killing would not be freed.