Israel and the Palestinians are planning to resume security talks Tuesday. Palestinian security official Mohammed Dahlan says the meeting will take place in Tel Aviv Tuesday night with U.S. officials participating.

The Palestinians suspended security talks on Sunday when Israel refused to end the confinement of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Israeli tanks have pulled back from Mr. Arafat's office, but remain around the city. Mr. Arafat agreed to resume security talks after meeting Monday with the European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Meanwhile, there appears to be growing interest in Israel about a Saudi initiative for Arab-Israeli peace. Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer is quoted as saying the plan contains positive elements and should be encouraged. He said the plan should not be rejected.

Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah has floated a proposal in which Arab states would recognize Israel and normalize relations if Israel withdraws from all lands it occupied in the 1967 Middle East war.

In violence Monday, Palestinians killed two Israelis near a West Bank Jewish settlement, south of Bethlehem. An Israeli policewoman died of wounds received when a Palestinian opened fire in East Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers in the West Bank shot and killed two Palestinians at army checkpoints - a 16-year-old girl with a knife and a man rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.

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