Palestinian prime minister Mahmud Abbas accepted Saturday the resignation of negotiations minister and peace advocate Saeb Erakat.
The Palestinian information minister Nabil Amr told reporters: "Abbas accepted his resignation during their cabinet meeting in Gaza City".
Erakat had tendered his resignation Thursday. He was angry over being excluded from the meeting planned for Saturday night between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the first such high-level meeting since September 2000, when the 31-month intifada erupted.
On Friday, an official said Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat had asked Erakat to withdraw his resignation.
