US urges action on Mid-East plan

Powell will press for an end to Israeli restrictions on Palestinians

US Secretary of State Colin Powell is meeting the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers on Sunday to urge them to begin implementing the Middle East peace plan.

Mr Powell told his Israeli counterpart Silvan Shalom on Saturday that there was enough agreement between Israel and the Palestinians to move towards a peace settlement.

And, while acknowledging that major differences remained on the internationally-backed plan known as the roadmap, Mr Powell urged both sides "to get on with it".

"There is a need to end violence now. There is a need to end terror now. There is a need to take some steps that will make life a little better for the Palestinian people," he told a news conference.

People can comment on the roadmap as we move forward. Let's not allow comments to stop us. Let's get on with it

Colin Powell

Stern test for US initiative

In the latest violence, an Israeli man was shot dead when Palestinian gunmen fired on his car near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

Mr Powell is meeting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, before holding talks in Jericho with the new Palestinian Prime Minister, Mahmoud Abbas - widely known as Abu Mazen.

Ahead of the discussions, the secretary of state said Abu Mazen understood that "terror must be brought to an end".

Arafat (right) has been confined to his Ramallah headquarters

The BBC's Jon Leyne, who is travelling with Mr Powell, says the Americans are offering to help Abu Mazen crack down on Palestinian violence - a key Israeli demand.

The roadmap outlines a process that begins with a cessation of Palestinian attacks and Israel's withdrawal from Palestinian territories - and ends with the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005.

Our correspondent says Mr Powell wants Mr Sharon to ease restrictions on the Palestinians and, in due course, to end settlement activity.

Overnight, the Israeli army lifted its temporary ban on Palestinians travelling to work in Israel.

The ban was put in place during a security alert for a Jewish holiday that ended last week.

Israeli security sources also told the BBC that several hundred detained Palestinians would be released in the coming days.

Under Israeli regulations governing administrative detention, suspected militants can be held for up to six months without charge.

'Tough talking'

Mr Powell has already said that Abu Mazen "is beginning to make the right statements with respect to terror and violence".

ROADMAP MAIN POINTS

Phase 1 (to May 2003): End of terrorism, normalisation of Palestinian life and Palestinian political reform; Israeli withdrawal and end of settlement activity; Palestinian elections

Phase 2: (June-Dec 2003) Creation of an independent Palestinian state; international conference and international monitoring of compliance with roadmap

Phase 3 (2004-2005): Second international conference; permanent status agreement and end of conflict; agreement on final borders, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements; Arab states to agree to peace deals with Israel

Roadmap full text

Can attacks be stopped?

Our correspondent says the secretary of state will also aim to prise concessions from Israel.

The venue for Mr Powell's meeting with Abu Mazen has been switched to the West Bank city of Jericho.

This was done at the insistence of the Americans, who wanted to avoid any danger of Mr Powell bumping into Yasser Arafat, in line with the Bush administration's policy of sidelining the Palestinian leader.

Mr Arafat has been restricted by the Israelis to his Ramallah headquarters for more than a year.

The roadmap was drafted by officials from the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations.