The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has called for a number of urgent measures to stop continuing violence between Israelis and Palestinians. The measures include security co-operation, peace talks and an end to Israel's blockade of the West Bank and Gaza. Mr Annan said that the current uprising could get out of control with unpredictable consequences. In recent days, Israel has fired missiles into Palestinian police posts and entered a Gaza Strip refugee camp as part of a stepped up effort to end mortar bombings of Jewish settlements.
Fighting erupted between Israeli soldiers and hundreds of Palestinian gunmen in the Gaza Strip. The violence began after Israeli tanks and bulldozers entered a Palestinian refugee camp and knocked down several buildings. The Israeli army said that it intended to demolish homes and an olive grove which Palestinian gunmen had been using for cover to fire on Jewish settlements and soldiers. This clash follows the announcement of a meeting between senior Israeli and Palestinian security officials later on today to try again to put an end to six months of violence in the West Bank and Gaza.
In another development, an 18-year-old Palestinian has died of a bullet wound he sustained last week during armed clashes with the Israeli army near the West Bank town of Jenin. At least 372 Palestinians, 71 Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs have been killed in the fighting, that erupted after peace talks deadlocked.
