Israeli troops took control of the largest city in the West Bank today as hundreds of Palestinian gunmen barricaded in a nearby refugee camp put up fierce resistance.

Palestinian politicians have refused to meet an EU peace delegation unless the visiting diplomats are given access to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

The EU’s foreign policy envoy, Javier Solana and Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique are leading a delegation to the Middle East today in an effort to get both the Israelis and the Palestinians to stop violating international law.

The European Union has told the United Nations Human Rights Commission that its priority for the coming year is to promote the abolition of the death penalty worldwide.