The UN Security Council met today for private consultations with Israeli Foreign Minister Mr Shimon Peres to discuss the Middle East situation.
One council member said the meeting, which was held at the request of Mr Peres, was "unexpected but most welcome".
He said council members were likely to meet later in the day with the Palestinian observer to the United Nations, Mr Nasser Al-Kidwa.
Yesterday, the Arab group of nations at the UN asked for a meeting of the Security Council to "examine the grave situation in the occupied Palestinian territory".
In a statement issued just before the closed-door consultations began, Mr Peres said Israel would continue to ease restrictions on the Palestinians in the coming days.
"The issue of security must be at the centre of the government's activities but we have no interest in seeing the Palestinian population suffer or become more extreme," he said.
"Israel wants to negotiate, but in order to negotiate there has to be tranquility."
Mr Peres is due to visit Washington on Friday to prepare a visit to the US capital next week by Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon.
AFP