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. Sun August 3, 2003: JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath told his Israeli counterpart in a meeting on Sunday that he would urge militant groups to extend a temporary truce if Israel implemented its part of a "road map" to peace. But his proposal was rejected by Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom who demanded the Palestinian Authority (PA) dismantle the "terror infrastructure" in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including the disarming of militant groups. "We are ready to extend the truce through dialogue with Palestinian groups if the Israelis make real steps to implement the road map," Shaath told Reuters after his meeting with Shalom at the Israeli Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. Shaath called on Israel to withdraw its troops from Palestinian cities, release Palestinian prisoners, halt expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied land and take additional steps mandated by the road map. Shaath said he and Shalom failed to agree on the idea because "the Israelis asked us to destroy the Palestinian organizations and arrest the leaders of the organizations." He declined to say for how long the truce would be extended. Israel has expressed reservations about a three-month truce declared by Palestinian militant groups on June 29, saying it is no substitute to the dismantling of "terror groups." It accuses militants of using the lull of the cease-fire to rearm. Israel's Channel One television quoted Shalom as telling Shaath that Israel would not move to the next stage of the U.S.-backed road map, which envisages a Palestinian state by 2005, until the PA dismantled the "terror infrastructure." Shalom told Army radio after the meeting that the Israeli government was determined to uphold the government of moderate Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas to its "commitment to dismantle the terror infrastructure." Palestinian officials warn of a civil war if they crack down against militant groups and say the most effective way of halting violence in a 34-month-old uprising for independence is if Israel implements its part of the peace plan. It was not immediately clear whether militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad would agree to extend the cease-fire. They have threatened to call off the truce unless Israel releases all 6,000 Palestinian prisoners in its jails. Meanwhile, an Israeli committee on prisoners was meeting on Sunday night to determine the names of about 450 Palestinian prisoners earmarked for release some time this week. Israeli media reported the committee would ease the criteria of prisoners eligible for release to allow those still awaiting trial to be freed.
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