Hussein looks for Arab support

Jordan is seeking approval from Saudi Arabia and the Palestinians on the terms under which King Hussein would enter Mideast peace talks. Western diplomats said they believed it was just possible that talks involving the Saudi foreign minister and a scheduled visit by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat would result in word from the King that he is ready to negotiate. Hussein's participation is considered crucial to President Reagan's Mideast plan. But it would be conditional on the US securing a freeze on new Jewish settlements on the West Bank and progress on an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

On that score, US envoy Philip Habib flew to Israel with new Lebanese ideas that official sources could break the months-long deadlock between the two countries. Israel is demanding agreement on security arrangments in southern Lebanon before pulling out its Army, which invaded in June. Lebanon has resisted the Israeli proposals.

Meanwhile, Israeli military sources said that Palestinian guerrillas were reestablishing themselves in south Lebanon and had renewed attacks on Israeli military traffic in the area. On the Palestinian side, an official source said eight Israeli soldiers being held by the Palestinian Liberation Organization had been moved from eastern Lebanon. The soldiers, captured in Lebanon last September, were moved to an unnamed Arab country because the PLO had information Israel was planning a military operation to free the soldiers.