Arafat formally accepts invitation to Washington peace talks

Barak told CNN on Saturday that the Palestinians have not complied with the cease-fire agreement

Israeli-Palestinian fighting continues

In this story: Presence of Israeli soldiers draws comment Injuries, deaths mount Truce is fragile RELATED STORIES, SITES

CNN Correspondent Fionnuala Sweeney and CNN Correspondent Jerrold Kessel contributed to this report.

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat on Sunday formally accepted an invitation to attend separate Mideast peace talks in Washington as White House officials laid the groundwork for this week's meetings to be hosted by U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Israeli authorities say Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak will probably accept a similar invitation in a few days.

AUDIO Barak says the mass gathering on the anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin shows Israel wants peace 525K/47 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Erakat says both Palestinians and Israelis need peace more than ever 437K/40 sec. AIFF or WAV sound    VIDEO Barak speaks to CNN's Jerrold Kessel on the fifth anniversary of Rabin's death Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     ALSO 20,000 gather to remember Israeli peacemaker Rabin     MESSAGE BOARD Mideast peace     RESOURCES Ariel Sharon: Peacemaker or peace breaker?

There are no plans for three-way meetings between the leaders.

Arafat media adviser Marwan Kanafani told CNN, "Most of the talk will be concentrated on how best we can go back to the negotiation table."

Meanwhile, scattered and minor clashes broke out Sunday in Gaza and the West Bank. In Gaza, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy died from wounds suffered during fighting with Israeli soldiers, and another Palestinian was also killed in Gaza clashes, according to Palestinian hospital sources.

Presence of Israeli soldiers draws comment

In an interview Saturday with CNN, Barak called upon Arafat to abide by a cease-fire agreement reached during an emergency summit last month in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

"It's clear that, until now, the Palestinians have not complied with the Sharm el-Sheikh agreements," said Barak, referring to ongoing violence and unrest.

Palestinian authorities, he said, also have yet to re-arrest members of the militant groups Islamic Jihad and Hamas. They were released from jail after violence began September 28.

Barak said Israel is living up to "all our commitments."

But Kanafani, the Arafat spokesman, said calm is unlikely so long as Israeli soldiers remain on what he called Palestinian territory.

Injuries, deaths mount

Clashes continued Saturday in the West Bank towns of Ramallah and Hebron, in the Gaza Palestinian refugee camp of Al-Brayj and at the Israeli-Gaza border crossing of Karni.

Sixteen Palestinians were injured in the Gaza clashes, and a 14-year-old Palestinian girl was injured in the West Bank violence.

At least two funerals took place Saturday for Palestinians died in Friday's fighting.

The International Red Cross said five weeks of Israeli-Palestinian fighting have left 185 people dead -- Palestinians, Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs.

Despite the violence Barak said that obtaining a broader peace agreement still was possible. For both sides, the violence underscored that an agreement is needed "more than ever," he said.

"We are focusing on reaching a permanent agreement with the Palestinians that will include defending our basic interest...and vital national interest. I believe it's possible," he said.

Barak said Israel was prepared to go far to incorporate ideas raised in July at the Camp David peace talks into a broader peace agreement.

Truce is fragile

Continued weekend violence reminded authorities of the fragility of a truce forged Wednesday between Arafat and Israeli Cabinet minister Shimon Peres.

On Saturday, Israelis marked the fifth anniversary of the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by an ultra-right Jew. It was Rabin in 1993 who sealed the Oslo interim peace deal with Arafat.

For their efforts, Rabin, Arafat and Peres shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.

Barak says he will participate in Washington peace talks if Arafat will
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November 2, 2000
Agreement to implement cease-fire reached, Barak's office says
November 1, 2000
Peres, Arafat will meet, try to end Mideast violence
October 31, 2000
Barak outlines path to peace; Israeli helicopters open fire
October 30, 2000

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