King Abdullah II of Jordan on Thursday said he hoped the fragile truce agreed overnight to end the violence between Palestinians and Israel succeeds, the official Petra news agency reported.
The monarch, who is in the United Arab Emirates, made the comments in separate telephone conversations with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ahud Barak, the agency said.
"The king hopes that the accord leads quickly to positive results in a manner that will favor a resumption of the peace process," between Israel and the Palestinians, it said.
Abdullah also told Barak that "the Palestinians are engaged in (respecting) the accord," which would lead to a lifting of the blockade imposed on Palestinian cities and end the clashes, the agency said.
Earlier, a Jordanian official said Arafat had telephoned Abdullah to discuss the accord reached by the Palestinian leader and Israel's former prime minister and Nobel peace laureate, Shimon Peres.
They discussed "measures taken by the Palestinian and Israeli sides to end the violence in the Palestinian territories," the official said.
Arafat "saluted efforts by the king in support of the Palestinian people," while Abdullah was interested in the "progress of the various parties to put an end to the violence against the Palestinian people and assure a favorable climate for a resumption of the peace process," he added.
The conversation took place before a car bomb exploded near a busy market in west Jerusalem and killed two people.
Abdullah arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for a visit of several days during which he will deliver a keynote speech at a conference on information technology and hold talks on boosting bilateral relations -- AMMAN (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
