The EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has arrived in Israel at the start of a Middle East tour aimed at consolidating a ceasefire and reviving a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians.
Mr Solana will try to facilitate a proposed meeting between Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Earlier, a well-known Palestinian Christian businessman, who had been accused of having links with Israel, was seriously wounded by Palestinian gunmen near Bethlehem.
Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers have killed two Palestinians in gun battles in the West Bank city of Hebron. The Israeli army said that a soldier and an eight-year-old Israeli boy were also wounded in the fighting. Two people died and six people were injured in yesterday's violence. The deaths could threaten peace talks which are expected to begin this week between Israel and the Palestinians.
A top-level Palestinian security officer was killed in one of yesterday's explosions, which had been blamed on the Israelis. However, last night an unknown Palestinian organisation claimed responsibility for the blast, which also left four others seriously wounded.