Washington steps up efforts to maintain ceasefire

Israeli and Palestinian officials, under the strongest US prodding in months, have been asked to respond tomorrow on ways they could cement a week-long truce and restore the trust needed for an eventual return to peace talks.

CIA chief George Tenet’s three-way meeting with Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs yesterday marked the highest-level Bush administration involvement in stemming the violence that broke out on September 28 last year and has claimed nearly 600 lives.