The Israeli Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, has said that he would meet with the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat next week. Mr Peres said that he would hold the meeting in the Middle East with the goal of achieving a ceasefire.
Mr Peres, who is on a visit to Italy, did not specify exactly when or where the meeting would take place but he said that it would be the first of three meetings between the two men.
Palestinian officials said earlier this week that either Taba, Egypt or the Erez crossing between Gaza and Israel were possible venues for a meeting.
Mr Peres said that the goal of the series of three encounters was to discuss implementing a US-brokered ceasefire that never took hold. Earlier today, Israeli helicopter gunships killed two Palestinians in the West Bank and Palestinian gunmen struck back by killing an Israeli.
