For their part, the Palestinians want the commission to blame Mr Sharon for starting the unrest with his provocative visit to sensitive holy sites in Jerusalem last September. The Israelis insist the Palestinians had been planning to start a new uprising even before the visit. According to Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper, the fact-finding mission does not blame either of the two sides. Ha'aretz also quotes Israeli political sources as saying that the Mitchell report does not call for international observers to be sent to the region, a key Palestinian demand. The report is thought to focus on ways of finding an end to the violence, without which Israel says there can be no peace talks.
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