US Secretary of State Ms Condoleezza Rice is expected to visit the Middle East in early February as the Bush administration makes a new push for peace after Yasser Arafat's death.
"The new secretary of state, Dr Rice . . . is committed to doing what she can to promote Middle East peace," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield told a conference.
The White House has made no such announcement but a second US official confirmed that Ms Rice was expected to visit the Middle East in early February as part of what is expected to be her first trip abroad as secretary of state.
US officials regard the death of Mr Arafat, the former Palestinian president, as an opportunity to revive peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians after years of violence and stalemate.