Egyptian foreign minister to travel to Israel, Palestinian areas

The Egyptian Foreign Minister is due to visit Israel to help quell Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Ahmed Maher will meet his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

It will be his first official visit to the country.

Mr Maher is also expected to meet with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat over the three suicide bombings over the weekend which claimed 25 victims.

Two Palestinians were killed in retaliatory Israeli missile attacks on Palestinian areas.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak plans to send his intelligence chief, Omar Sulaiman, to meet with Mr Peres and Mr Sharon, according to Egyptians officials.

Maher said Egypt is worried by Israel's increasing criticism of Arafat and insistence that he is personally responsible for terrorism.

President Mubarak has repeatedly blamed Sharon for the deadlock in the peace process, once saying the Israeli prime minister's reluctance to engage in negotiations with the Palestinians was "silly."

President Mubarak has not had an ambassador in Tel Aviv since late last year, when he withdrew his ambassador to protest Israeli treatment of Palestinians.