Efforts are under way to arrange a meeting between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon shortly, a senior Palestinian official said today.
Disclosure of attempts to get the two leaders together over the next week or so followed a statement last night by the Palestinian cabinet that it was extending its hand in peace to Israel's new government, while also calling for an end to what it called the Israeli policy of "siege and destruction."
The overtures, following an exchange of messages between Mr Arafat and Mr Sharon this week, took place against a backdrop of fresh violence.
Palestinian police said today an unidentified Palestinian man had been shot dead by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army said it was checking the report.
Reporting efforts to arrange an Arafat-Sharon meeting, the Palestinian official said the aim was for it to take place before Israel's new leader goes to Washington on March 19th.
A spokesman for Mr Sharon said he knew of no plans for a meeting. It would be the first between the two leaders since Mr Sharon took power on Wednesday night.
In a letter to Mr Arafat on Thursday, Mr Sharon said he hoped for "personal contacts" to stop the bloodshed and renew peacemaking.
But Mr Sharon's spokesman made clear there was no change in his policy that violence must stop before peace negotiations start but said he would be ready to meet Mr Arafat to pave the way for talks.