Israel lifted some travel restrictions in the Gaza Strip today but Prime Minister Ariel Sharon rebuffed an offer from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to make a joint television appeal against violence.
In a new show of force, Israeli police stormed Jerusalem's most sensitive holy place, alHaram al-Sharif, or Temple Mount, where the current Palestinian uprising began seven months ago, to chase away Palestinians throwing stones after Muslim prayers.
There were no casualties in the clash involving dozens of protesters and police did not enter the two mosques on the site, al-Aqsa and the Dome of the Rock.
The Waqf (Muslim religious authority) must ensure the Temple Mount is used as a site for holy prayer and not allow it to become a place for nationalistic disturbances, police said.
There was other scattered violence, though less than in the days since Mr Sharon stepped up security measures to protect Jewish settlers from mortar bomb attacks.
The violence included overnight mortar bombs and Israeli soldiers firing rubber-coated metal bullets and stun grenades to chase away 20 to 30 stone-throwing Palestinians in the West Bank town of Hebron.
Diplomatic efforts to end the bloodshed picked up steam, though with little success.A senior US congressman acted as a go-between for Mr Arafat's television proposal and the Palestinian leader held separate meetings with United Nations Middle East envoy Terje RoedLarsen and European Union envoy Miguel Moratinos.
After meeting Mr Arafat and Mr Sharon in the past 24 hours, US representative Jim Kolbe told reporters he was not terribly optimistic about a breakthrough at this time.