Israel and the Palestinians were expected to respond to CIA chief Mr George Tenet's blueprint for a lasting truce today after Israeli tank fire killed three Palestinian women.
The EU raised its profile in the US-led drive to end eight months of confrontations, holding top-level talks with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson, whose country currently holds the EU presidency, said after meeting Mr Arafat in Ramallah he hoped the killing of the women yesterday in the Gaza Strip would not destroy the truce.
"Everyone stands behind the cease-fire. It is extremely important to stick to the cease-fire, it is extremely important to implement the Mitchell report," he said, citing a report by former US senator George Mitchell's inquiry into the violence.
The women's deaths, after a Palestinian attack on a Jewish settlement, were the first fatalities since Mr Arafat - under threat of Israeli retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed 21 people in Tel Aviv on June 1 - promised a cease-fire.
"It is a clear Israeli violation of the declared cease-fire," Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said in statement.
At least 453 Palestinians, 110 Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs have been killed since an uprising against Israeli occupation erupted last September.
Today Israeli newspapers reported details of Mr Tenet's proposal for a full cease-fire, the first step toward renewing peace negotiations under the Mitchell initiative.
According to the papers, Tenet called for Israel not to hit Palestinian targets, to pull troops back to positions held before the uprising began and to prevent revenge attacks against Palestinians and damage to their property.
The CIA chief's plan called for the Palestinian Authority to arrest Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants, halt incitement and destroy mortar ammunition stockpiles, they reports said.
In addition, the plan called on Palestinians to thwart attacks against Israelis from Palestinian-ruled territory and prevent those carrying out attacks elsewhere from taking sanctuary in Palestinian Authority areas.
Mr Arafat's adviser, Mr Nabil Abu Rdainah, said the Palestinians had some qualms about the plan and would raise them in security talks the CIA chief was to hold with senior Israel and Palestinian officials in Ramallah today.
"The Palestinians have reservations on the American paper and they will submit them today in writing," Mr Abu Rdainah said.
Officials from both sides also due to hold separate talks with US Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, in the region trying to cement the cease-fire and set the stage for the Mitchell report's implementation.