The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Amr Moussa, says he hopes for agreement on an Arab summit meeting on the Middle East peace process, because he believes that only international pressure will force Israel to change its policies.

Mr Moussa was speaking in Beirut, where representatives of ten Arab countries are meeting.

Mr Moussa said that current Israeli policy was not going to be changed unless it was firmly confronted by the international and Arab communities.

The Beirut meeting had been called originally to prepare for a conference of all Mediterranean nations later this week in Italy, but correspondents say the agenda has been overshadowed by diplomatic moves for an Arab summit.

Israeli television has reported that the Israeli Defence Minister, Yitzhak Mordechai, is expected to go to Cairo later today Tuesdayto have talks on the deadlocked peace process with President Hosni Mubarak.

At the same time, Israel has denounced Palestinian appeals for an Arab summit, calling the move an outrageous violation of the peace accords.