Palestinians agree to security demands

JERUSALEM, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The Palestinian Authority announced its intention to comply with Israel's security demands as part of the first stage of the so-called road map to peace.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may meet with Palestinian and Israeli representatives as next week to develop a blueprint to talks, Ynetnews reported Friday.

Israeli negotiators confirmed Friday that their Palestinian counterparts agreed to disarming and disbanding terrorist groups operating within the Palestinian Authority, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The negotiators said the agreement came during a meeting between Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni and top Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qurei.

Officials in Jerusalem said they hadn't expected the Palestinians to announce the agreement until next week, Ynetnews said.

"The message seems to have sunk in for the Palestinian side; they've accepted that we simply cannot move ahead until the security issue is dealt with," a state official said after the meeting between Livni and Qurei.