European Union envoy to the Middle East Mr Miguel Angel Moratinos met separately Monday with Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Mr Shimon Peres today.
The meeting came amid further violence as a Palestinian man was shot dead in a Tel Aviv suburb today after knocking down an Israeli soldier and a policeman in a car rampage between the West Bank and Tel Aviv.
Mr Moratinos met first with Mr Peres in Jerusalem and then went on to see Mr Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the Palestinian leader has been trapped by Israeli forces for almost two months, an envoy spokesman said.
The efforts come as part of EU efforts to relaunch dialogue between the two sides.
Mr Moratinos informed Mr Arafat about the meeting today of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, where the diplomats urged Israel to recognise the Palestinian Authority as a legitimate negotiating partner and the Palestinians to crack down on terrorist networks.
Meanwhile Israeli police said a Patestinian man was shot dead after he first smashed through an Israeli road block at Qalqiliya on the northwestern border between the West Bank and Israeli, hitting a soldier before speeding into the Israel.
There he crashed into an Volvo, which he then stole and headed into the Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak, where he hit a policeman before being cornered by a police patrol, which shot him dead.
Police initially said he had opened fire after stopping his car but later said the man was unarmed.
Palestinian residents of the village of Jayuss, some five kilometres east of Qalqilya, said the man was Mr Majed Abu Saada (25).
They said he had a history of mental problems predating the start of the Palestinian uprising. He was married with two sons and was not a member of any political or militant group.
The incident happened the day after a Palestinian female suicide bomber blew herself up in Jerusalem, killing an Israeli and wounding 40 more.
AFP