Rice to meet Abbas in search of conference accord

Rice may hear concerns from Abbas and his prime minister, Salam Fayyad, over Israel`s decision on Wednesday to declare the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity", as well as about the pace of Israeli moves to ease movement for people in the West Bank.

Fayyad`s government has already said it wants Washington to press Israel not to cut energy and other supplies to the 1.5 million people of Gaza, despite hostility between the leaders in the West Bank and the Hamas Islamists who seized power in the

coastal enclave in June after routing forces loyal to Abbas. more ..