Brussels - Senior EU officials will visit the Middle East next week for talks with the new Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. The EU is the biggest aid donor to the region and has been pressing for an international donors' conference to help stave off financial collapse of the Palestinian Authority.
European Commissioner for External Affairs Mr Chris Patten and the Swedish Foreign Minister, Ms Anna Lindh, will hold talks with Mr Arafat in Gaza on Monday and with Mr Sharon, the Foreign Minister, Mr Shimon Peres, and President Moshe Katsav the following day. Meanwhile yesterday, Israeli troops wounded 29 Palestinians in the West Bank and a suspected sniper attack forced Israel's new Defence Minister, Mr Binyamin BenEliezer, to take cover during a visit to the Gaza Strip.
As Palestinians tried to reopen a road near Ramallah the Israeli army shot 29 people, wounding two critically. Officers crouched, while Mr Ben-Eliezer's bodyguards threw their arms around him and hustled him to the side.