Arafat meeting Israeli minister

The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, is in Cairo for a meeting with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Shlomo Ben Ami.

The meeting was arranged at the last minute during talks between Mr Ben Ami and President Mubarak of Egypt.

Speaking after that meeting, Mr Ben Ami said they had discussed the central issues involved in a possible peace deal.

A BBC correspondent in Cairo says the Palestinians and Israelis are continuing to discuss the proposals President Clinton put forward last month, despite their reservations about them. Earlier, the Israeli army began easing the blockade imposed in the Gaza Strip following the killing of a Jewish settler there on Sunday.

The Israeli moves followed contacts between security officials from both sides last night.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service