Israelis and the Palestinians have delayed a meeting on the US-backed "road map" to peace that had been planned for tomorrow, officials said.
Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Amr said the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas had been deferred for "technical reasons".
He said he expected the talks to go ahead in the next 48 hours. Other Palestinian officials said they hoped the meeting would be on Thursday.
An Israeli political source also said a meeting had been planned for tomorrow but that the Palestinians had sought a postponement because of a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah by Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio.
"No new date was set," the Israeli source said.
Mr Sharon and Mr Abbas are expected also to meet next week at a summit with US President George W. Bush, probably in Jordan's Red Sea port city of Aqaba.
Tomorrow's meeting had been expected to help prepare for the three-way summit following Israel's endorsement of the road map on Sunday, despite its reservations.
The Palestinians had already approved the plan that outlines reciprocal steps for ending 32 months of violence and paving the way to a Palestinian by 2005.
Israeli political leaders and security chiefs meet today to plot strategy for the summit and the meeting with Mr Abbas Palestinians.
It was not immediately clear whether Mr Sharon would take part in today's talks involving officials from the prime minister's office, foreign and defence representatives, and members of the security services and the army.