Ross to Netanyahu: 13 percent withdrawal required

The US coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Dennis Ross, will pay a visit to the Middle East on Friday in the latest attempt to break the current deadlock in the peace process.

Meanwhile US Secretary of Defense William Cohen will arrive in Cairo tomorrow to discuss with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak the developments in the peace process and the current situation in the Gulf.

Ross' visit follows on the heels of a regional tour by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who arrived in Cairo yesterday.

Press reports said the United Sates will call on Israel to withdraw from 13% of the West Bank within an initiative to enhance the peace process, but the US administration has refused to reveal its suggestion to the public.