The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has said that the situation in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians is close to "an all-out war". After meeting the European Commission President, Romano Prodi, in Luxembourg, Mr Annan said that the leaders on both sides must do whatever they can to rein in their forces. It is reported that up to five people were killed in new violence today in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and in Israel, despite a ceasefire agreed earlier. Three Palestinian protesters were killed in the Gaza Strip. A Palestinian was killed in Nablus in the West Bank. An Israeli Arab man was shot dead by police during clashes in northern Israel. The renewed violence took the death toll to 55 in six days.
The US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has arrived in Paris ahead of two separate sessions of talks with the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the French capital tomorrow and in Egypt on Thursday. Ms Albright said that she hoped the meeting would help restore calm to the area. President Clinton promised to support an investigation into the cause of the violence. Ehud Barak is meeting today with leaders of the Israeli Arab community in an effort to stop the clashes in the Galilee. The Israeli army is already using helicopters and missiles, while tanks remain on standby.
In a statement last night, the Minister for Foreign Affairs said that these tragic events had underlined the need for both sides to act quickly to reach a peace agreement. Brian Cowen also called on the Israeli forces to moderate what he described as their "excessive reaction" to the Palestinian protests.
