Sharon, Abbas to meet in February

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will meet with new Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas next month in an attempt to end four years of fighting between the two sides, officials said yesterday.

The meeting, scheduled for the second week in February, coincides with a planned visit by new U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It follows a sharp drop in violence and an Israeli pledge to reduce its military operations in Palestinian areas.

Sharon's spokesman, David Baker, said the talks would aim to "make progress between both sides, contingent on continued efforts by the Palestinians to prevent terrorism to Israel."

Israeli and Palestinian officials planned to meet next week to prepare for an Abbas-Sharon summit. The two leaders last met and signed the road map in 2003 when Abbas served as Arafat's prime minister. It has since been stalled by bloodshed.

A political rally in the Gaza Strip by the militant Palestinian group Hamas turned violent yesterday, as supporters of Abbas' Fatah faction opened fire, sparking a melee that left more than 25 people wounded, a Palestinian official said.

The incident in the Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza was the first instance of violence between rival Palestinian factions since Abbas' election early this month.

The shooting occurred at a rally staged by Hamas to celebrate its victory in municipal elections earlier in the week. The Palestinian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Hamas supporters chanted victory slogans, angering Fatah supporters.

One of the Fatah supporters opened fire, seriously wounding one Hamas supporter. Some 25 other people were hurt in the ensuing melee, the official said.