Attack in Jordan strains Mid-east peace

　　JERUSALEM—An unidentified attacker shot an Israeli embassy employee in the leg in Jordan in an assault tha t added to fears that Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed cou ld trigger violence in Arab countries in the Middle Eas t.

　　Nightly gun battles raged on in the West Bank and G aza late on Tuesday, capping a day in which soldiers sh ot dead two Palestinians who took part in rock-throwing protests. The death toll of mainly Palestinians in the two-month-old uprising against Israeli occupation, has risen to 297.

　　Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak echoed on Tuesday a denial by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat of secr et peace talks between the warring sides.

　　"There are contacts all the time but there are no n egotiations," Barak said in a speech. "We have to wait until the violence starts to decrease."

　　On November 19, an Israeli viceconsul, Shlomo Ratsa bi, was shot and wounded in the thigh and arm in the Jo rdanian capital. Two unknown groups claimed responsibil ity at the time and vowed more attacks until diplomatic ties between Israel and Jordan were severed.

　　In a brief statement, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ab dullah al-khatib described the shooting as a "totally u nacceptable act" after visiting Ratsabi in hospital.

　　Israel and Jordan signed a peace treaty in 1994, bu t anti-Israeli feeling has risen in the kingdom in the wake of the Palestinian uprising.

　　Israeli Army Radio said families of some of the emb assy staffers in Amman and female employees would be re turned home as a security precaution. A Foreign Ministr y spokeswoman said the report was premature and "all op tions are being examined."

　　"The situation as it is now is not tenable. It may continue the way it is right now for a few more weeks … It could deteriorate sharply, dramatically and tragical ly, which may produce regional spillovers so we wil fac e a regional war, " Roed-Larsen told Reuters.

　　"The only way to save the sitation is for the parti es to return quickly to the negotiating table and make the painful compromises they have to, " he said.

　　Reuters