Israel acts to calm West Bank

Hundreds of people have been wounded

Israeli troops have withdrawn from some sensitive areas of the occupied Palestinian territories after five days of escalating violence which has left dozens of civilians dead.

However, the BBC Jerusalem correspondent says that a tentative ceasefire agreed with Palestinian security officials does not appear to be holding.

When the Palestinians stop attacking us, we will stop defending ourselves

Israeli army spokesman

More than 50 people - almost all from the Arab side - have been killed and about 1,000 have been injured since Thursday

The Israeli pullback included the key Ayosh junction at the entrance of the Palestinian-ruled city of Ramallah, where some of the worst clashes have occurred.

However, violence has continued throughout the territories, with one young Palestinian man shot dead and six injured near the flashpoint Israeli settlement of Netzarim in the Gaza strip.

A fire fight also broke between Israelis and Palestinians at a Jewish enclave in Nablus and Israeli troops fired on stone-throwing demonstrators in Hebron, Jenin, Tulkarm and Bethlehem.

The Israeli commander at Ayosh junction said he was pulling his troops back a few hundred metres "to avoid friction and to try not to go again into battle".

"It is happening all around the West Bank, all my colleagues in the (Israeli Defence Forces) are doing the same", Colonel Gal Hirsch said.

There is an occupying power which has been shooting through its soldiers at the civilian population

Palestinian UN observer Nasser al-Kidwa

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat are due in Paris on Wednesday for a US-convened meeting aimed at ending the violence.

"They are both very pleased and eager to come," said US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. "We are going to try to defuse this."

The violence began after right-wing Israeli politician Ariel Sharon visited the holy complex in Jerusalem known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

UN deadlock

The UN Security Council met for five hours on Monday night at the request of the Palestinians, but was unable to agree on a statement on the violence.

Reports said the meeting ended in disagreement after the US refused to allow Israel to be condemned for using excessive force.

The clashes are the worst for four years

The Palestinians have called for an impartial investigation into the outbreak of violence following Mr Sharon's visit, which Palestinians and their supporters saw as highly provocative.

The future of the holy complex, which was captured and annexed by Israel in 1967, is a key sticking point in stalled peace negotiations.

Helicopter gunships

Spiral of violence

Thursday

Ariel Sharon tours Jerusalem holy site

Friday

6 Palestinians die in Jerusalem clashes

Saturday

Unrest spreads across territories
16 Palestinians killed

Sunday

Israeli Arab towns join protest
11 dead, including Israeli soldier

Monday

13 dead as fierce clashes continue

Mr Barak held talks on Tuesday with Israeli Arab leaders, who represent the 20% of Israeli citizens of Palestinian descent.

At least six of those killed have been from that community - a development which has caused great concern among Israelis.

Around 3,000 people marched from Nablus to the nearby Balata refugee camp for the funeral of a 15-year-old boy who was shot in clashes.

In Jenin, a 57-year-old woman died on Tuesday from tear gas inhalation suffered during Friday's clashes after prayers at the Haram al-Sharif.

The BBC Jerusalem correspondent Hilary Andersson says that even during the Intifada - the Palestinian uprising in 1980s - there were few battles to compare with those seen in recent days.

Leaders from across the Arab world have backed calls by Egypt and Syria for an emergency Arab summit about the Israeli-Palestinian clashes.

They have been joined by Muslim countries in condemning what are seen as "Israeli atrocities" and attempts to impose sovereignty over the Muslim holy sites.