Palestinian leader Abbas praises U.S. security plan

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday praised a U.S. plan that aims to bolster prospects for renewed peace talks with Israel by setting dates for both sides to take confidence-building steps.

"The American document, which the Palestinian leadership has received, included important steps to achieve security in the Palestinian territories," Abbas was quoted as saying by the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

The plan, Abbas said, was a first step toward "easing the suffering of the Palestinian people," WAFA reported.

The proposal calls for a "timeline" for so-called "benchmark" moves including a crackdown by Palestinian security forces on rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza and an easing of Israeli restrictions on Palestinians.

Abbas met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas late on Monday to discuss the American proposal and the overall security situation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Hamas, which leads a Palestinian unity government, rejected the U.S. plan, under which Abbas would start deploying his Fatah-dominated forces by mid-June to halt rocket fire and smuggling by Gaza militants.

"The government stressed that it did not receive the plan, pointing out that the movement of people and citizens cannot be swapped for the national rights," government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said.

Since Hamas has rejected the plan, Abbas and Haniyeh discussed the idea of a "cooling down" period instead, Abbas aide Nabil Shaath said.