Israeli Foreign Minister Mr Shimon Peres urged Palestinian authorities today to accept without changes a Middle East truce plan drawn up by US CIA Director Mr George Tenet.
Mr Peres said it would be tragic if Palestinian President Mr Yasser Arafat tried to alter the proposals, which Israel earlier accepted with some misgivings.
"This morning the Israeli government announced they accepted completely his document despite our reservations, because one has to accept it in its entirety or give a negative response," Mr Peres told reporters after talks with senior European Parliament deputies.
Mr Peres said time was running out for the Palestinians to make up their minds as Mr Tenet planned to leave the region later today.
He denied reports Mr Arafat had already rejected the plan.
Israel Radio quoted an unidentified Israeli official as saying Mr Tenet had told Israel he had failed to clinch a deal.
"That's the latest news, but not the last," Mr Peres told a reporter when asked to comment on the news reports.
Mr Peres said the Palestinians seemed to be claiming - wrongly in his view - the Tenet deal was unconnected to a more detailed peace plan drawn up by an international committee led by former US Senator Mr George Mitchell.
United States and Israeli officials in Brussels confirmed today that Mr Peres would meet US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell in the Belgian capital on tomorrow evening.
Mr Powell will be in Brussels with US President Mr George W. Bush for a meeting of NATO leaders.