France slammed Israel's renewed attacks on Palestinian territory Saturday and criticised the cancellation of a meeting between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, a foreign ministry spokesman said.
"It would be deplorable if the planned meeting between Mr Arafat and Mr Peres was once more postponed," he said
"In this context, the actions undertaken by Israeli forces in Gaza are worrying. Anything which aims deliberately to weaken the Palestinian Authority is the opposite of what is needed," he added.
Israel launched a wave of land, sea and air strikes against Palestinian positions Saturday, a day after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon abruptly cancelled the talks between Peres and Arafat.
Two Palestinians were killed and 15 wounded, Palestinian security sources said.
The French statement came after French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine spoke on the telephone with the Palestinian co-operation minister, Nabil Shaath.
The planned meeting between Peres and Arafat was seen as a key stage in attempts to bring the two sides in the Middle East conflict back to the negotiating table after a year of bloodshed which has claimed 800 lives.
But late Friday, Sharon called off talks set for Sunday, considering it would be "inappropriate" after the terrorist attacks which killed thousands in the United States.
Sharon's decision and Saturday's attacks had already been criticised as an unnecessary escalation by Russia's Middle East envoy Andrei Vdovin, amid fears that Israel hopes to use the outrage felt over the US attacks as a smokescreen for increasing pressure on Arafat -- PARIS (AFP)
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