The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is to meet a senior aide to the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak today, less than a week after Egypt recalled its ambassador from Israel. They will explore ways of ending two months of violence in the West Bank and Gaza. Yesterday in Cairo, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat briefed Mr Mubarak on his recent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Mr Arafat told Jordanian television that he hoped the flurry of diplomatic activity would go some way towards ending the violence that has cost 274 lives, most of them Palestinians, and left the Middle East peace process in tatters. According to hospital sources in Jenin, Nablus and Gaza at least 60 people were wounded and at least four Palestinians were killed on Saturday following clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza despite a deal between the sides to restore some security co-operation.
