11.   Only by moving the peace process forward, and expanding Palestinian autonomy, will support for Hamas decrease in the territories, he said.

12.   Palestinian autonomy has been delayed for more than a year as negotiations were repeated interrupted as a result of the violence.

13.   Perhaps the most provocative of the measures was the threat to send commandos into Palestinian-controlled areas, since this amounted to a direct challenge to Palestinian autonomy.

14.   That, in miniature, is the scenario Likud hardliners have always advanced against allowing Palestinian autonomy, much less independence.

15.   The second phase of that accord, on expanded Palestinian autonomy, is now a year behind schedule.

16.   The symbolic act capped the agreement between Israel and the PLO on Palestinian autonomy in Gaza and Jericho.

17.   The two sides have agreed in principle to begin a more ambitious phase of Palestinian autonomy that would change the map of Israel and the Middle East.

18.   They are understood to have told Sharon that the United States would not support an Israeli move into Beit Jala or other areas that are under Palestinian autonomy.

19.   Those attacks have stalled negotiations on expansion of Palestinian autonomy to other areas of the West Bank.

20.   Under the best of conditions Arafat cannot hope to make Gaza a model of smoothly functioning Palestinian autonomy.