The American envoy, Dennis Ross, is due in Israel today on another mission to try to push forward the Middle East peace process.

His first meeting will be with the Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, who faces increasing dissent within his governing coalition over plans to return more land on the occupied West Bank to the Palestinians.

The United States says it expects Israel to come up with what it calls a credible and significant troop redeployment.

But some members of Mr Netanyahu's coalition have vowed to bring down the government if it agrees to any major concessions.

Mr Ross will meet the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, later in the day.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
 

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