Palestinian President Mr Yasser Arafat has briefed Saudi and Egyptian leaders about the latest Israeli-Palestinian violence on the eve of the arrival of a new US peacemaking mission.
In Cairo, Mr Arafat said he told Egyptian President Mr Hosni Mubarak about the latest developments "particularly before the arrival of the American envoys" and "in light of the continued attacks carried out by [Israeli Prime Minister] Sharon with the intention of causing a military escalation".
"With the visit of the two US envoys approaching, Israel is intent on challenging US policy, which aims to calm the situation and prepare the way for resuming negotiations," Egyptian Foreign Minister Mr Ahmed Maher said.
"With consecutive criminal acts in the last three days . . . Israel is preparing the way by increasing the tension," he told reporters after the Arafat-Mubarak meeting.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that King Fahd of Saudi Arabia condemned "the assassination operations carried out against Palestinians by Israeli occupation forces." He said these confirmed that "the Israeli side does not desire peace".
Former US Marine Corps Gen Anthony Zinni and US Assistant Secretary of State Mr William Burns are due in the region today in an effort to end 14 months of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Their trip is part of a new drive for peace announced last week by Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell.
In the latest violence, Israeli forces launched missile strikes in the Gaza Strip and killed a young Palestinian in the West Bank yesterday following a Palestinian mortar attack that killed an Israeli soldier near a Jewish settlement in Gaza.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas said it fired the mortar bombs to avenge the death of senior Hamas member Mr Mahmoud Abu Hanoud. He was killed on Friday with two other Palestinians when their car was hit by an Israeli rocket.