ISRAELI and Palestinian officials met in Cairo yesterday to try to revive the Middle East peace process, after two days of confusion over whether or not the meeting would take place.
The two sides, led by the Palestinian negotiator, Mr Saeb Erekat, and the Israeli Cabinet Secretary, Mr Dan Naveh, were joined by the Egyptian presidential adviser, Mr Osama ElBaz, and focused on ways of breaking the impasse reached when Israel began building the Har Homa settlement in Arab East Jerusalem last March.
Misunderstandings surrounding yesterday's talks began with the announcement on Saturday by the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Mr Amr Moussa, that a meeting between Palestinians and Israelis was to take place in Cairo.
This was denied by the Israeli government. Hasty clarifications were issued by both sides before it was confirmed that they would meet.
The talks were almost scuttled again yesterday morning, when a Palestinian spokesman, Mr Marwan Kanafan, said Israel had agreed in principle to a "pause" in settlement building.
The Israelis immediately responded that there had been no such agreement and said they would refuse to attend unless the Palestinian Authority retracted the statement. At the eleventh hour, the retraction came, but Mr Erekat added that the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, must reconsider his position on settlements.
The squabble shows just how far apart the two sides remain, despite efforts by the Egyptians to narrow the gap on the issue.
After a meeting between the Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, and the Egyptian President, Mr Hosni Mubarak, on Saturday, Mr Moussa alluded to Israeli proposals to break the deadlock, but refused to say more.
. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators plan further talks, Israeli and Egyptian delegates said after yesterday's session. "It was a very good meeting held in a very positive atmosphere and some progress was made but we need more talks - in order to bridge the gaps. The parties will continue talks and Egypt will be involved," Mr ElBaz told reporters. Mr Naveh said he agreed with Mr El Baz's comments and an Israeli negotiator, Mr Yitzhak Molho, said: "We had some constructive talks and probably there will be a continuation. That's all I can say."