Newly elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says Palestinians are ready to carry out their commitments under the internationally backed "road map" peace plan.
Speaking to a group of local and international Christian clergymen in Ramallah today (Thursday), Mr. Abbas said there are mutual obligations in the "road map," and that Palestinians are serious about implementing their part.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who is expected to meet with Mr. Abbas within days, has stressed that peace negotiations can not be revived unless Palestinians crackdown on militants.
In the Gaza Strip today (Thursday), Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man who was driving his pregnant wife to a hospital. The military says soldiers opened fire as the vehicle was speeding towards them. The woman is said to have later given birth to a baby boy.