Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s cabinet today banned a UN fact-finding mission into the battle at the Jenin refugee camp.

Islamic countries today accused Israel of dragging the Middle East toward war and urged the United Nations Security Council to protect Palestinians by intervening in the West Bank.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders were today said to be upbeat about US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Middle East policy address calling for a state of Palestine to live in peace next to Israel.

Diplomatic efforts to restart frozen Middle East peace talks intensified today with a European delegation offering mediation and the United States about to outline its policies.