Israel bans visits to Palestinian territory

The Israeli authorities have banned all Israelis and foreign tourists from entering Palestinian controlled territories following an attack in which a two-year old Israeli girl was seriously injured.

The girl was hurt when the car she was travelling in was attacked with fire bombs in the West Bank town of Jericho.

The attack follows a week of violence in which at least five Palestinians have been killed.

The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Barak, has postponed a planned trip to the United States, where he was due to discuss the Middle East peace process with President Clinton, and the Israeli cabinet has been discussing the situation at its weekly meeting.

Heavy fighting has also continued in southern Lebanon as Israel prepares for its promised troop withdrawal.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service