March 23, 2002	Saturday	Muharram 8, 1423

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TEL AVIV, March 22: US-mediated talks aimed at forging an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire ended without result on Friday, but another meeting was agreed for early next week.

US officials have heaped pressure on both sides to show restraint and give the truce mission of Washington’s Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni a chance to bear fruit, but continuing suicide bombings by Palestinians suggest he has little time.

Friday’s session took place at a secret location in Israel’s largest city Tel Aviv.

“We held a security meeting at the Americans’ behest. The meeting ended with no concrete accomplishments as far as we were concerned. We agreed to hold another meeting early next week, possibly on Sunday,” an Israeli source said.

A truce would pave the way for Israel to lift a travel ban on Arafat so that he could hold talks with US Vice President Dick Cheney and attend an Arab summit next week in Beirut, which will discuss a Saudi-initiated ME peace plan.—Reuters