Israel halts talks after attack

Clashes with police continue in the Palestinian areas

Israel has recalled negotiators from peace talks in Sweden, and banned all Israelis and tourists from Palestinian-controlled territories amid continuing unrest.

The moves came after a two-year-old Israeli girl was seriously injured in a petrol bomb attack in the West Bank.

The girl, who is now on life support in a Jerusalem hospital, is the latest victim in an upsurge of violence that has led Prime Minister Ehud Barak to postpone a planned visit to the United States.

Mr Barak has cancelled a trip and recalled negotiators

Mr Barak's office confirmed on Sunday that Israeli negotiators were cutting short talks with Palestinian representatives in Sweden, because of the unrest.

Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami and lawyer Gilead Sher are to return to Israel for consultations, Mr Barak's office said.

Over the past 10 days, six Palestinians have been killed, including one teenager who died in hospital on Sunday after being shot by an Israeli soldier in Ramallah last Monday.

About 600 people have also been wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the most violent clashes for two years.

Cars stoned

The Israeli army says about Israeli cars have come under attack in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on at least eight occasions.

Dozens of people have been injured in the clashes

Cars were damaged, but no injuries were reported.

BBC Middle East correspondent Paul Adams says the latest developments contribute to a mounting sense of crisis.

An official statement issued after a late-night security cabinet meeting in Jerusalem gave no indication when Mr Barak would travel to Washington.

Mr Barak's spokesman, Gadi Baltiansky, said it was unlikely that the prime minister would be able to go later in the week.

Serious clashes

The Israeli leader had been due to meet US President Bill Clinton to discuss the current deadlock in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

In Washington, White House spokesman PJ Crowley said President Clinton was concerned about the continuing violence and understood why Mr Barak felt it necessary to postpone his trip.

On Saturday there were serious clashes between police and thousands of demonstrators in towns around the Palestinian areas.

Over 60 people were injured in the protests, which were aimed at getting the Israeli Government to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The Israeli Defence Force has called on Palestinian leaders to stop the violence or face harsh retaliation.