New West Bank clashes

A Palestinian demonstrator returns a tear gas canister

Sporadic fighting broke out in the Palestinian territories on Tuesday after the worst day of violence on the West Bank and Gaza for two years.

In several areas in the West Bank, Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded with rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas.

The clashes came as US envoy Dennis Ross returned to the Middle East on his latest mission to salvage deadlocked peace talks between the two sides.

Violence erupted in the central West Bank town of al-Ram, where witnesses said 200 Palestinians threw stones at an Israeli checkpoint.

In Bethlehem, Hebron and Ramallah Palestinians also attacked Israeli army checkpoints.

Israeli soldiers and Palestinians line up against each other again

At least 10 people have been wounded - most of them Palestinians hit by live rounds, others by rubber-coated ones. One Israeli motorist was hit by a stone.

BBC Jerusalem correspondent Hilary Andersson says the level of violence was far lower than on Monday when at least three Palestinians were killed and hundreds injured, including 15 Israeli soldiers.

The Palestinian protests have been aimed at the 52nd anniversary of the creation of Israel - or what the Palestinians call "The Catastrophe" - on Monday.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has delayed the transfer of three West Bank villages adjacent to Jerusalem to full Palestinian control because of the violence.

Funeral

Thousands of Palestinian mourners gathered in the northern West Bank village of Dayr al-Khatab to bury a Palestinian policeman killed in Monday's violence.

The slingshot is the weapon of choice among Palestinian protesters

Swathed in a red, black and green Palestinian flag, the body of Ahmed Gamal Abdel Fatah was lowered into the ground in his home village, near Nablus.

Palestinian police paid tribute with a 21-gun salute.

"We expected the peace process would really bring peace and stop the accumulation of martyrs. But the situation has been the opposite. The martyrs are still coming. So where is the peace?" said Rasmi Tawfiq Owdeih, a cousin of the deceased.

The funerals of two other men were held on Monday night.

Peace efforts

Dennis Ross flew in from Stockholm along with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators who have been holding secret talks there.

The US envoy held a three-hour meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Ramallah, as Tuesday's clashes continued nearby.

Both sides were working hard to restore calm, he told reporters afterwards.

"What we are focused on is trying to end the pain and end the sorrow of the conflict."

A senior adviser to Mr Arafat said, however, that despite the American effort and continuing meetings with the Israelis, large gaps still separated the two sides.

Mr Ross was expected to meet Mr Barak later on Tuesday.

Deadline missed

Israel and the Palestinians have been working towards a self-imposed deadline of signing a framework agreement by mid-May with a view to signing a final peace deal this September.

Our correspondent says this month's deadline has already been missed and it's looking increasingly unlikely that a final deal will be signed this year as planned.

This should have been the week in which the framework deal was signed, but the deadline has been missed.

Mr Ross's latest visit comes ahead of a trip to Washington next week by Mr Barak where he will hold talks with US President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.