By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 6, 2008

JERUSALEM, March 5 -- Under heavy U.S. pressure, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday said he intended to restart peace negotiations that he had suspended earlier this week in anger over Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip that killed many civilians.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced the resumption of talks shortly before she concluded a 32-hour trip to the region. Also Wednesday, the Israeli security cabinet announced that the Jewish state would "continuously and systematically" press its campaign against Hamas, the armed Islamic movement that controls Gaza and is not participating in the talks.

"I have been informed by the parties that they intend to resume the negotiations and they are in contact with each other as to how to bring this about," Rice said at a news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Rice, who then flew to Brussels for a NATO meeting, gave no timetable or details, but U.S. officials are hopeful the talks will resume within a week.

"The peace process is a strategic choice and we have the intention of resuming the peace process," Abbas said in statement.

In order to win Abbas's agreement, Rice agreed to arrange for the first session of a previously announced joint committee headed by Air Force Lt. Gen. William M. Fraser III, who was appointed by President Bush to monitor the implementation of a long-stalled incremental peace plan. Fraser, who has been asked to assess conditions and propose ways to address roadblocks and other hindrances to Palestinian life, recently gave his first confidential report to Rice. Both sides are falling behind on their commitments, she said.

Rice also said she was sending Assistant Secretary of State C. David Welch to Cairo for talks on an Egyptian package deal that would include a Hamas-Israel cease-fire, the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and the return of an Israeli soldier captured by Gaza fighters nearly two years ago.

Abbas was publicly noncommittal on restarting talks when Rice met with him in Ramallah on Tuesday, but U.S. officials had said he was more forthcoming in private.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Rice first told him Wednesday morning that she would arrange the meeting of the monitoring commission and send Welch to Cairo. After Erekat informed Abbas, Rice and Abbas spoke by phone. Erekat denied that Rice had in any way forced the Palestinian president's hand. "The lady did a good job. She worked tirelessly," he said, adding that "we need to assure the process is not hijacked."

But after Rice thought she had reached an understanding with Abbas, she saw news reports in which he was quoted as saying he would not agree to talks until after a "truce" was reached between Israel and Hamas. Rice called him again shortly before her news conference to reconfirm his commitment.

At least 126 Palestinians, many of them civilians, and three Israelis, including one civilian, were killed in fighting that began last Wednesday. Israel said it mounted its offensive to counter rocket fire from Gaza.

While Abbas had wanted to demonstrate that Israel's deadly attacks in Gaza came with a price, he also did not want to lose the opportunity for talks he had long sought. It is unclear how much progress had been made in the negotiations, which cover "final status" issues such as borders and the division of Jerusalem, because both sides have imposed a news blackout on the discussions.

Abbas is regarded by many U.S. officials as an often vacillating leader who has frustrated Rice by making commitments and not fulfilling them. Israelis have also frustrated American intentions by mounting military operations against armed groups in Gaza following Rice's visits to the region and failing to implement commitments to ease security restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank.

Rice has resisted calls from Arab leaders for a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, saying Israel has a right to defend itself. She has noted that Israel needs to be concerned with any loss of civilian life and whether its attacks will make it difficult for Abbas to continue negotiating.

Livni said Israel has not left the bargaining table, despite a suicide bombing and near-constant rocket attacks. "We are not willing to leave Hamas in control of our lives and future. I expect my co-partners . . . to act the same. It is important for them as it is important for us," she said.

Under the peace process launched last year in Annapolis, Md., the Israelis and Palestinians are to negotiate a peace deal while also taking incremental steps on such issues as ending the expansion of Jewish settlements and bolstering the ability of Palestinian security forces to fight militant groups. Under the theory advanced by the Bush administration, progress on both fronts will bolster Abbas's low standing among Palestinians and marginalize Hamas.

Livni, arguing both confrontation and negotiation, said the Annapolis understanding was "based on the fact that we will negotiate with the pragmatic leaders even though they don't control Gaza Strip right now, while meeting the challenge coming from Gaza Strip in order to change the situation in Gaza Strip."

Livni said Hamas has continued to build its military strength, calling it now "a small army," largely because of smuggling into Gaza that Israel contends is tolerated by Egypt.

Correspondent Griff Witte contributed to this report.