Arafat, Abbas and Suleiman, Palestinian children ask for fathers to be released

(15 Jul 2003) Ramallah 1. External shot Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's compound 2. Yasser Arafat, Omar Suleiman (Egyptian intelligence chief) and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas on steps of Arafat's compound 3. Cutaway Palestinian flag 4. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Yasser Arafat, Palestinian President: "We thank President Hosni Mubarak and all his people for their intervention and sending of envoys. We especially thank Omar Suleiman because of whom we succeeded in reaching the ceasefire (hudna) with the various factions and we thank Hosni Mubarak for standing with us in every crisis." 5. Cutaway cameraman 6. Arafat and Abbas waving as Suleiman is driven away Nablus 7. Wide shot demonstration by children wearing chains calling for release of Palestinian prisoners 8. Close up chains on children's wrists 9. Children chanting "With our life with our blood we will sacrifice for you Abu Ammar (Arafat)" 10. Children chanting "We are her standing for the prisoners, we are here standing for freedom" 11. Mid shot banners calling for release of prisoners 12. Various demonstration 13. Wide shot loading area at newly opened Awarta checkpoint - pan left 14. Israeli soldiers checking goods at checkpoint 15. Truck backing up - Israeli soldier pointing weapon at driver 16. Israeli soldiers checking Palestinian drivers' papers 17. Crates of fruit carried from one lorry to another 18. Shot of lorry driving through checkpoint STORYLINE: Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has praised Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for his assistance in mediating the recent Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire. Arafat spoke outside his Ramallah compound after holding talks with Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and visiting Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman. Egyptian security officials have played a key role in obtaining a truce between Palestinian militant groups and also in settling rifts between Arafat and Abbas. Abbas had threatened to resign unless Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement gave its backing to his handling of contacts with Israel. Arafat and Abbas met late Monday, and organisers said they had settled their differences. Tensions boiled over last week when Arafat's allies criticised Abbas' handling of contacts with the Israelis, especially over demands that Israel release an estimated 7,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel has offered to free only a few hundred, and critics accused Abbas of being too soft. In Nablus on Tuesday Palestinian children held a demonstration calling for the release of prisoners currently being held by Israel. The children, who were attending a summer camp, waved banners, chanted slogans and held up their hands which had been chained together in solidarity with the prisoners. Meanwhile Israeli security forces opened the new Awarta checkpoint in Nablus. Previously all traffic had to pass through the main Hawara checkpoint. This led to ambulances and cars being held up behind lines of trucks which had to be searched before proceeding. From Tuesday all commercial traffic must use the new Awarta checkpoint freeing the Hawara checkpoint for civilian and medical traffic. Israel says this new checkpoint will ease the burden of traffic. But truck drivers complained that whereas before they were allowed to drive their truck straight through the checkpoint into Nablus itself, they now have to stop at the Awarta checkpoint and unload onto another truck in a special loading area which leads to delays just as long as before. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...