JERUSALEM -- The Palestinians cast doubt Monday on a breakthrough in the deadlocked peace process ahead of a new visit by U.S. mediator Dennis Ross and a summit between the Israeli and Palestinian presidents.


Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat praised Israeli President Ezer Weizman for arranging their meeting scheduled for Tuesday. But he went on to lash out at the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for refusing to back down on decisions to expand Jewish settlements while holding up implementation of signed self-rule agreements.


"The most important thing is that the Israeli government is insisting on continuing its breaching of what has been agreed upon," Arafat said Monday after returning from talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.


Israel radio meanwhile reported that Ross, the U.S. State Department's top Mideast troubleshooter, would arrive for his latest mission to the region only after Tuesday's Arafat-Weizman meeting.