Palestinians urge Israelis not to retaliate

The Palestinian Authority has called on Israel not to retaliate after the killing of an Israeli soldier on Saturday by a Palestinian policeman.

The appeal follows a threat by an Israeli spokesman that Israel would target senior Palestinian commanders if they were found to be behind the attack.

Palestinian officials, however, have said Israel should stay out of the matter while the attack was investigated. A spokesman for the Fatah PLO faction in Gaza Ahmed Hellas said that the Palestinian uprising would continue whatever the price. During yesterday's incident the attacker, a member of the Palestinian Preventative Security Service, was killed by Israeli gunfire after shooting at an army post guarding a Jewish settlement. Meanwhile the former Israeli President, Ezer Weizman, is due to hold talks with the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, later today, to discuss the Middle East crisis.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service