ISRAEL AND PALESTINE GUARD IVANOV JOINTLY

Russia’s Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov is currently on a visit to Israel. After meeting on Thursday with Israeli Premier Ehud Barak, he is due to go to the Gaza Strip to meet Yasser Arafat, head of the Palestinian administration. Israeli and Palestinian sides have not agreed formally to any temporary truce, Interfax reports. However, there is evidence that both sides have taken special security measures to ensure Mr. Ivanov’s entering Gaza without let or hindrance.