REUTERS, Jerusalem | Monday
INTERNATIONAL efforts to end bloodshed in the Middle East have redoubled, but tension remains high as an Israeli deadline nears for Palestinians to halt their wave of protests which has seen at least 84 people – mostly Palestinians – killed in 11 days of bloodshed.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was on his way to Israel to try to use personal diplomacy to defuse the situation, while the United States and Russia stepped up their own efforts, with US officials saying President Bill Clinton hoped to arrange a peace summit.
Jewish settlers attacked Israeli Arabs’ homes in Nazareth in northern Israel on Sunday, killing at least one Arab and undermining hopes that violence would end before the Israeli deadline expires on Monday evening after the Yom Kippur holiday.
Clashes also flared in the divided West Bank city of Hebron after the start of Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish new year. At least five people were hurt.
Tensions are also high with Syria and Lebanon over the kidnapping of three Israeli soldiers, deepening concern that violence could spread further through the Middle East.
Annan will meet Palestininan leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak as well as other leaders in the region.
The explosion of violence has set back hopes of a deal to end 52 years of conflict. Barak has repeated threats that Israel would consider the Middle East peace process dead if clashes did not stop by the end of Yom Kippur, and says security forces will use all means to restore order if violence does not end.
Palestinian leaders have ignored the threats and blamed Israel’s “excessive force” for the high death toll.
Field leaders of Arafat’s Fatah faction distributed leaflets declaring a “popular war” and calling for an “intifada” or uprising against Israel to be stepped up. Fatah officials said they were acting on the orders of local leaders and not Arafat.
Palestinians say the violence was triggered by a visit on September 28 by Israeli right-wing politician Ariel Sharon to a Jerusalem holy site revered by Muslims as Al-Haram al-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary, and by Jews as Temple Mount.