Jerusalem: Sticking to his tough posture against Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on January 30 rebuffed an offer by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for immediate resumption of peace talks.

"Arafat's (offer is) not relevant....first let him speak to his people to stop terrorism. This is duplicity and deception," a senior adviser of Sharon said.

When asked if he would sit down with Sharon following his victory in elections, Arafat said, "Tonight...we insist on returning to negotiations as soon as possible."

"Don't forget we have announced this more than once, in all the areas. We were clear and we hope alongside this there will be an immediate implementation of peace in the land of peace," the Palestinian leader told Channel Ten in an interview.

Though seeking a broad-based coalition with Left parties keen on pursuing peace, the Israeli Prime Minister's response, a day after his election victory, indicates that Sharon would stick to his tough policies in his second term in office.

Following Sharon's victory, Palestinians have voiced fears that a Right-wing surge behind Sharon's re-election would lead to an Israeli reoccupation of the Gaza Strip.

PTI