PA: Israel to escalate military actions after Powell failure; Jordan, Egypt urge Israel to withdraw

The Palestinian leadership said US Secretary of State Colin Powell's Middle East mission had been a failure caused by Israel's refusal to end its three-week occupation of West Bank towns and villages.

"Israel assumes the whole responsibility for Powell's failure to obtain an immediate (Israeli) pull-out from all the towns and areas that were entered," said the statement released by the Palestinian Authority cabinet and the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive committee.

The leadership added: "The Palestinian people have been made the object of the greatest terrorist campaign in history, which has the aim of destroying our national institutions, achievements and infrastructure."

They also called for the UN Security Council to meet and for the international community to condemn Israel's continuing military occupation.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Powell was leaving with the situation on the ground "much worse" than when he came and that Sharon had "torpedoed" Powell's efforts.

For his part, Mohammed Dahlan, the Palestinian Preventive Security chief in the Gaza Strip said Wednesday "after the failure of Powell's mission, Sharon will consider this a green light to escalate aggression and even storm into Arafat's office. This is a real danger."