One does not fight against popular emotions with tanks

Jacques Chirac

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, following talks with Mr Chirac, described Mr Sharon's visit as "counter-productive".

The violence, now in its fifth day, flared after Mr Sharon's visit to the al-Aqsa mosque compound. There have been at least three further deaths on Monday.

Fresh clashes

Mrs Albright's statement follows an appeal by US President Clinton to both the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to bring an end to the violence. The White House says Mr Barak and Mr Arafat have agreed to support a US-led inquiry into the violence once calm had been restored.

But on Monday violence was continuing.

An Israeli was shot dead in his car near the West Bank town of Bidiya - the first civilian Israeli Jew to have been killed in the unrest.

Two Arab Israelis who were shot by police during violent demonstrations inside Israel on Sunday have died.

All of this has drowned the political process with blood

Palestinian Minister Yasser Abd-Rabbuh

In Gaza City eight people have been wounded in an explosion at a Palestinian government compound housing the national security headquarters, security sources said.

Palestinian security sources said the blast was believed to have been caused by a rocket which had been fired on the building by Israeli forces the day before. They said several people were examining the Lau missile when it exploded.

And in the latest clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops, six people were injured in the city of Hebron, witnesses said.

Two people were injured near the line between the Palestinian and Israeli controlled sectors of the city, where Israeli soldiers were firing rubber bullets at stone-throwing demonstrators.

Another four were wounded in clashes in Bani-Naim to the south-east.

Blame and counter-blame

The clashes are the worst for four years

The Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who met senior security officials late on Sunday, has blamed the Palestinian Authority for the ongoing violence. He called on them to take responsibility for stopping the fighting immediately.

But the Palestinians say the Israelis are responsible for the continuing clashes.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has urged the Israelis to "stop shooting our soldiers, our old people, our youths, our women".

Mr Arafat has flown to Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II.

Presidents Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Bashar al-Assad of Syria, meeting in Cairo, have called for an urgent Arab summit to deal with the violence, but no date was suggested.