for a three way meeting with the Palestinian and Israeli prime ministers to discuss a peace plan even as another bomb explosion wounded 9 people in Israel.
That attack reportedly rocked a bus near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza strip.
The Islamic group Hamas claimed responsibility for the bombing near the Jewish settlement of Netzarim, ignoring calls from Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, to end the violence.
Despite the set-back, Bush told reporters he wanted to meet the leaders of all sited following an agreement that apparently ends Israel’s hold-out against accepting the peace plan, the Voice of America (VOA) reported.
The Bush administration, after high-level talks this week with a senior envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, has publicly committed itself to "fully and seriously" address Israel’s concerns about the international "road map" to Middle East pace.
However the announcement is expected to lead to the Israeli cabinet’s acceptance of the peace plan, perhaps as soon as its next meeting on Sunday.
It may also trigger stepped-up U.S. diplomacy in the region including a three-way summit involving President Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen, VOA reported.
