Abbas confirms resignation as final

The central committee of the Palestinian movement, Fatah, has recommended a new successor for the position of Prime Minister.Speaking at a closed meeting of the committee, the Palestian President Yasser Arafat, nominated the parliament speaker Ahmad Qorei to succeed Mahmud Abbas.

Earlier Mr Abbas said that his resignation which he submitted yesterday, was final.

He was responding to speculation that he might reconsider his decision to step down.

Mr Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, announced his resignation yesterday after a power struggle with the Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat.

Asked whether he would accept the post again, Mr Abbas said it was very premature to comment about it at this stage.

Earlier, a close ally of Mr Arafat speculated that he would ask the Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas, to form a new government in spite of his decision to resign.

But Saeb Erekat, the head of the Palestinian negotiating committee, pointed out that Mr Arafat had not yet accepted the Prime Minister's resignation, and he said asking Mr Abbas to form a new cabinet was the most likely of several options open to him.

In a BBC interview, Mr Erekat said the priority was to keep the Middle East peace process alive.Helicopters fire on Khan Younis camp Israeli helicopter gunships are reported to have fired at least three missiles at the home of a member of the militant Islamic group Hamas, in the southern Gaza Strip. Nine people were wounded in the strike at the house in the Khan Younis refugee camp.

Meanwhile, the United States has said it remains committed to its Middle East peace plan, despite the resignation of the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas.

A White House spokesman said the Bush administration would continue to seek the implementation of the plan together with Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, the fellow-members of the so-called quartet that drew up the proposals.