Mideast talks hope

A Palestinian views the wreckage of his Hebron shop, destroyed in an explosion

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli and Palestinians leaders hope to meet on Wednesday -- one day after Israel launched rocket attacks against Palestinian targets.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian Cabinet Minster Nabil Shaath are both attending an international business conference and Peres said he would be willing to look at ways to "stop terrorism."

The potential talks come after Israeli forces launched airstrikes on Palestinian targets in Gaza in response to what they said was a mortar attack that wounded a Jewish boy.

The targets of Tuesday's raids were part of the Palestinian Authority "apparatus" that Israel held responsible for the mortar attack. Two district headquarters of the Palestinian police forces were among the targets, an Israeli army statement said.

"This is a reaction to the brutal attack against a baby and its mother," an Israeli military statement said. "All those responsible will be punished."

Other attacks were reported at the Rafah border crossing and the town of Khan Yunis.

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Peres, who is in Europe, said it was possible he would meet Shaath on the sidelines of an international business conference in Athens on Wednesday.

"If (the Palestinians) ask to meet, then I will say yes because we have to discuss how to stop terrorism," Peres said. "We said we would not negotiate under fire, but we can definitely talk about how to stop the fire."

Israeli and Palestinian security and military chiefs also plan to meet in a session which could include a U.S. representative, a senior Palestinian official said.

The Palestinian Authority has called on the European Union to intervene to revive the peace process.

Shaath said after meeting EU security chief Javier Solana in Athens that he had asked for the bloc to intervene in the Middle East crisis.

"Europe has intervened in more serious confrontations. We cannot allow Israel to act outside the realms of international legality.

The mortar attack Tuesday afternoon seriously wounded the 10-month-old boy in a Jewish settlement in Gush Katif. The boy and his mother, also injured, were evacuated to the Israeli town of Beersheeba.

The Palestinian militant group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack.

Strikes last week targeted members of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's police bodyguard unit, Force 17. Israeli security forces arrested six Force 17 members Sunday: Three were released Tuesday after Israeli authorities decided they had no connection to terrorist acts.

The raids and arrests are signs of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's intent to step up the battle against the six-month-old Palestinian uprising and end what leading ministers have called the previous policy of restraint.

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