Israeli and Palestinian negotiators made headway in talks Thursday but failed to resolve all the disputes holding up an Israeli withdrawal from parts of the occupied territories.
The sides plan to meet again Monday in Cairo.Negotiations have been stalled by disagreements over border checkpoints in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank region around Jericho, the two areas in which Palestinians will receive autonomy under the initial phase of an Israel-PLO peace accord. The two sides also disagree over the size of the Jericho region.
Israeli troops were to begin withdrawing Dec. 13 - three months after the signing of the historic Israeli-PLO peace accord. The deadline was missed due to disputes.
The talks took on renewed urgency Wednesday as violence aimed at derailing the accord rocked the West Bank. Palestinian gunmen fatally shot two Israelis.
Ahmed Qurie, negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in Versailles that at least some progress was made on every major issue.
In Tunisia, Ali Ishaq, a member of the PLO's ruling Executive Committee, said Thursday the Israelis had shown some "flexibility" during the talks, but not enough to break the logjam.
The Israelis offered to expand the Palestinian-controlled area around Jericho to 60 square miles. That was unacceptable to the PLO, Ishaq said.