US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today that she expected Israel to take meaningful steps to improve the lives of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Israel wanted to help the Palestinians, but she offered no details and stressed that any measures should not compromise Israeli security.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said one or two West Bank checkpoints and about 50 dirt mounds blocking Palestinian movement would be removed.
Citing security concerns, Israel maintains hundreds of checkpoints, roadblocks and other barriers in the territory. Palestinians regard the restrictions as a form of collective punishment.
Ms Rice, who will shuttle between Israeli and Palestinian officials during a three-day trip to region, said she was looking for concrete steps to ease the Israeli restrictions and stimulate the Palestinian economy.
"I really do think that what we have to do is to have meaningful progress towards a better life for the Palestinian people, towards economic viability for Palestinians, even as we move towards the establishment of a state," Ms Rice told a joint news conference with Ms Livni.
Ms Rice also held talks with Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who plays a key role in actions taken by Israel on the West Bank.
She planned to follow the meeting with a three-way session with Mr Barak and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.