'Roadmap' focus of Mid-East talks

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Israeli and Palestinian officials are to meet President Bush's envoy in the first trilateral meeting since peace talks were relaunched last year.

Retired US Gen William Fraser was appointed to monitor compliance with the 2003 so-called roadmap peace plan.

But after renewed violence in the region, hopes are limited.

On Thursday Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in East Jerusalem.

Mr Abbas said taxes and planning restrictions were preventing Palestinians from building homes, while they were being cut off from other Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Israel described the remarks as inflammatory.

'Violations'

Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams have not met since an increase in violence over the past two weeks, in which more than 120 people were killed.

In recent days, dozens of rockets have been fired by Palestinians from Gaza, and Israeli forces killed four Palestinian militants in the West Bank.

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on both sides to end violence against civilians.

There will be further problems for Gen Fraser to deal with in the meeting in Jerusalem.

Contrary to the plan agreed at a US-sponsored conference in Annapolis in November, Israel has continued to build in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israel says Palestinians are not complying with their commitment to crack down on militants.

The Palestinian Authority says it has little influence in Gaza, where Hamas is in control.

Israel's Defence Minister Ehud Barak was expected to attend Friday's meeting, but he will be sending an official instead.