DATE=4/05/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT -

TITLE=ISRAEL / PALESTINIANS UPDATE (S)

NUMBER=2-288374

BYLINE= LAURIE KASSMAN

DATELINE= JERUSALEM

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: U-S envoy Anthony Zinni has met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at his Ramllah headquarters in the West Bank. The discussions came after U-S President George Bush on Thursday announced he would send Secretary of State Colin Powell to the region next week. Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from Jerusalem.

TEXT: The first encounter lasted about an hour and a half. Mr. Arafat's spokesman gave no details on the substance of the talks. But he says American and Palestinian officials would hold more talks later in the day.

Mr. Zinni is the first foreign diplomat to visit Mr. Arafat in Ramallah since he was put under siege last Friday by Israeli tanks and troops. At the time, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called Mr. Arafat an enemy of Israel and promised to isolate him from the rest of the world.

Mr. Zinni has been in Israeli for nearly a month on his third attempt to broker a cease-fire and end 18 months of bloodshed. His efforts collapsed last Wednesday when a suicide bomber killed 25 people in a seaside resort at the start of the Passover holiday.

Two days later, Prime Minister Sharon launched a major offensive in the West Bank.

By now, Israel's army has attacked all major West Bank Palestinian cities except Jericho.

Fierce fighting still rages in the northern towns of Jenin and Nablus.

NEB/MEM