1.  The original wide gaps between the Israeli package presented in May and the Syrian response have been narrowed on a number of issues.

2.  They were intended instead to allow Christopher to present very real ideas as mere hypotheticals and then gauge the Syrian response.

3.  A Syrian response to Clinton overtures to reopen peace talks are being dismissed by the State Department as inadequate.

4.  Levy said Israel had already offered the Syrians to resume negotiations without preconditions and that he was still awaiting a Syrian response.

5.  The Syrian response to the rumors was unusually quick, adding extra strength to the denial.

6.  U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher met with Assad in Damascus on Monday to present the Israeli offer and hear the Syrian response.

7.  He said he would brief Rabin on the Syrian response Monday.

8.  Israeli Foreign Minister Ehud Barak said he would scrutinise the Syrian response to his peace appeal made here Monday for any encouraging signs.

9.  But on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said Christopher was delaying his return to await a more detailed Syrian response to peace proposals.