The Middle East summit appeared to be heading for a successful conclusion as President Clinton and King Hussein joined in pressurising Israelis and Palestinians into new concessions.
Hopes that the long negotiations would end in a signing ceremony at the White House rose yesterday with reports of a breakthrough on the vital security issues which have been threatening to doom the summit at the Wye Plantation conference centre 70 miles east of Washington.
While a Palestinian official said that a security agreement could be wrapped up by last night, the US State Department spokesman, Mr James Rubin, said that "significant gaps" remained in what he called the "phase of very hard bargaining". But he said this was "part of the endgame, which is getting more and more serious".
Mr Clinton cancelled a fundraising trip to California to join the talks for a fifth time in six days. He has clocked up more than 45 hours attendance at the summit.
King Hussein of Jordan also flew to Wye from Minnesota, where he is being treated for cancer. The king, looking frail after chemotherapy treatment, was asked to join the talks by the US Secretary of State, Ms Madeleine Albright.
The presence of the main political figures in the region and a high-powered US team led by Mr Clinton showed that the President was determined to secure a successful end to negotiations which had been stalled for 17 months. Such an achievement would be the latest stage in the so-called "land for peace" Oslo accords of 1993 and would clear the way for the final phase, which is scheduled to be completed in May 1999.
If this interim agreement is concluded this week, Israel will hand over a further 13 per cent of occupied West Bank territory to the Palestinian Authority in return for security guarantees.
The importance of the security issue was highlighted on Monday when a Palestinian threw two hand-grenades at Israelis at a bus stop in Beersheba. More than 60 people were injured. The attack complicated the summit at a delicate stage as the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, declared that security was now the key aspect of the negotiations and angered the Palestinians, who were pressing for agreements in other areas, such as the question of an international airport in Gaza. But Mr Netanyahu and the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, then issued a joint statement condemning the attack and pledging to co-operate in defeating terrorism.
The talks in recent days have focused on a US compromise supported by the Palestinians on a package of security guarantees for the Israelis. The latter have been seeking the extradition of some 30 Palestinians accused of terrorist acts and a round-up of illegally held weapons. The Israelis are also demanding the dismantling of the Islamist movement, Hamas.
The Palestinians have rejected handing over the suspects and are seeking the release of the 3,500 prisoners held in Israel. The US compromise would give the CIA a role in identifying terrorists and allow them to be judged by Palestinian courts.
Yesterday, Palestinian security forces detained more than 20 suspected militants in Hebron as the Hamas military wing claimed responsibility for Monday's grenade attack. Israel and the Palestinian Authority have identified the assailant, whowas arrested by Israeli police, as Salem Rajab al-Sarsour, a 29-year-old father of five from Hebron.