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| Rice to meet Palestinian leader | Rice to meet Palestinian leader |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as part of her Middle East tour. | US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas as part of her Middle East tour. |
| Ms Rice says Palestinians "need a government that can engage the international community", after sanctions which crippled the region. | Ms Rice says Palestinians "need a government that can engage the international community", after sanctions which crippled the region. |
| She has been meeting Egyptian and Saudi leaders as she tries to get "moderate Arab leaders" to boost Mr Abbas. | She has been meeting Egyptian and Saudi leaders as she tries to get "moderate Arab leaders" to boost Mr Abbas. |
| Supporters of Mr Abbas' Fatah party have clashed with gunmen linked to the Hamas-led government. | Supporters of Mr Abbas' Fatah party have clashed with gunmen linked to the Hamas-led government. |
| Ten Palestinians have been killed and more than 100 wounded since fighting erupted between the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Hamas militants. | Ten Palestinians have been killed and more than 100 wounded since fighting erupted between the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and Hamas militants. |
| Ms Rice has called for an end to the violence, saying it was affecting "innocent Palestinians". | Ms Rice has called for an end to the violence, saying it was affecting "innocent Palestinians". |
| President Bush may want to revive the peace process, but it is hard to see how Rice courts moderate Arabs | President Bush may want to revive the peace process, but it is hard to see how Rice courts moderate Arabs |
| Unrest has spiralled in the Palestinian territories over the Hamas government's inability to pay civil servants and security forces. | Unrest has spiralled in the Palestinian territories over the Hamas government's inability to pay civil servants and security forces. |
| In further violence, masked gunmen have killed a Hamas leader in the West Bank, a day after a rival Palestinian faction threatened to kill senior Hamas members. | |
| The Palestinian government has been starved of cash from foreign donors since Hamas took its helm after elections earlier this year. | The Palestinian government has been starved of cash from foreign donors since Hamas took its helm after elections earlier this year. |
| Aid donations have been sliced over Hamas' refusal to recognise Israel and renounce violence. | Aid donations have been sliced over Hamas' refusal to recognise Israel and renounce violence. |
| Palestinian problem | Palestinian problem |
| The US Secretary of State is visiting the Middle East for the first time since the end of a month-long conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. | The US Secretary of State is visiting the Middle East for the first time since the end of a month-long conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. |
| Before her talks with Mr Abbas, she is expected to meet Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. She will also see Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. | |
| Ms Rice said on Tuesday that the Palestinians "need a government that can engage the international community and can engage the broad consensus that a two-state solution is the answer". | Ms Rice said on Tuesday that the Palestinians "need a government that can engage the international community and can engage the broad consensus that a two-state solution is the answer". |
| US President George W Bush said last month he wanted Ms Rice to travel to the region to "engage moderate leaders". | US President George W Bush said last month he wanted Ms Rice to travel to the region to "engage moderate leaders". |
| He said these leaders' could "help the Palestinians reform their security services and support Israeli and Palestinian leaders in their efforts to come together to resolve their differences". | He said these leaders' could "help the Palestinians reform their security services and support Israeli and Palestinian leaders in their efforts to come together to resolve their differences". |
| At a press conference in Cairo on Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said solving the Palestinian problem was central to achieving peace in the region. | At a press conference in Cairo on Tuesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said solving the Palestinian problem was central to achieving peace in the region. |
| Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal also called for greater US efforts to restart the Middle East peace process. | Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal also called for greater US efforts to restart the Middle East peace process. |
| He said the failure to address the plight of the Palestinians was one of the core problems of the region. | He said the failure to address the plight of the Palestinians was one of the core problems of the region. |