Leading American senators visiting Israel have said that Washington could provide substantial funding along with peacekeeping troops to help secure an Israeli-Syrian peace agreement.

However, the senators -- all members of the powerful US Senate Appropriations Committee -- insisted any American aid and forces would have to be part of a broader international effort.

The head of the five-man delegation and Committee chairman Ted Stevens declined to discuss specific figures for the American aid until a deal was within reach, but said there'd be substantial sums. He dismissed as meaningless Israeli media reports the cost could top sixty-five-billion dollars. However Mr Stevens said it would be difficult to persuade US taxpayers to give money to Syria which it classifies as a country that supports terrorism.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service