Arafat calls for total truce

Israel has rejected such a condition in the past.

The United States is the dominant member of the Quartet and has cut off contacts with Arafat, accusing him of fomenting anti-Israel violence during a three-year-old Palestinian uprising for independence. Arafat denies the accusation.

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Erekat said Arafat gave the three other Quartet members, the European Union, United Nations and Russia, a letter in which he "reiterated his full commitment to implementing the road map and the rule of law in Palestinian areas."AFP adds: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed not to compromise on Israel's security, as his top aide headed to Washington in a bid to seal approval for a controversial West Bank barrier. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom was also travelling to New York to attend the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly, two days after Israel was almost universally condemned over its threats to remove Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Israel has insisted it regarded the vote as irrelevant. A total of 133 countries voted for the non-binding resolution on Friday while four voted against, including the United States. Meanwhile, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian Islamic militant on Monday after besieging and then demolishing a house where he had taken shelter in the West Bank city of Hebron.

A Reuters reporter saw a body pulled from the rubble with a machinegun next to it and Palestinian security sources said the dead man was a member of the militant Hamas group.

Palestinian witnesses said troops surrounded the house with 15 jeeps and two tanks. They said there was an exchange of fire before troops brought up a bulldozer to demolish the house.