Ross in last-ditch peace moves

The United States special envoy, Dennis Ross, is leaving for the Middle East today for last-ditch peace effort before President Clinton leaves office.

The outgoing American President has said he will keep working for a peace settlement as long as he's in office.

But a BBC correspondent in Jerusalem says that -- with a deal now unlikely to be achieved -- the focus has switched to persuading both sides to sign a statement that locks in the hard-won gains so far. Two issues remain deadlocked -- the return of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem. Our correspondent says that if Mr Clinton were to force the pace now, he would risk passing on to his successor a peace process in the state of collapse.

In the latest violence, Israeli soldiers are reported to have shot and killed a Palestinian man during a protest at Silat al-Dahar near the West Bank town of Nablus.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service