US steps up efforts as Middle East ceasefire nears collapse

America was today stepping up its Middle East peace efforts as the week-old ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians looked close to collapse amid continuing violence and killings.

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said US Secretary of State Colin Powell would travel to the Middle East next week to urge Israel and the Palestinians to enforce the ceasefire.

The announcement followed the deaths of a Palestinian and an Israeli in shooting incidents yesterday.

The Palestinian was killed by Israeli soldiers at a roadblock near the West Bank town of Ramallah. Radio reports said the Palestinian approached the roadblock in a suspicious way, and soldiers opened fire.

The 59-year-old Israeli was killed as he approached the house of a business associate in a Palestinian village next to the Homesh settlement, police said.

Another Homesh settler was killed on Monday and several settlers said they were ready to leave because of the violence.

The incidents took place as security commanders met to discuss implementation of the truce, negotiated last week by CIA director George Tenet.

Israel said it would present a plan for redeploying its soldiers in the West Bank and Gaza at the meeting, but would carry it out only if the Palestinian attacks stopped.

The meeting ended with no agreements, Israel radio reported. Jibril Rajoub, the Palestinian security chief in the West Bank, said intensive meetings would continue over the next two days to try to work out a timetable for implementing the accord negotiated by Tenet.