Washington  - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will arrive in Israel and the West Bank next week on her first trip to the region aimed at feeling out ways to revive the peace process.

Clinton's trip is not meant to push forward on any new initiatives, but to "take the pulse of the various leaders" about how to advance the peace process and build a lasting ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas militants ruling the Gaza Strip, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said.

Beirut/Damascus - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Wednesday that he hoped Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections will be held in "a tension-free" environment.

He was speaking in Beirut as part of a week-long trip to the Middle East, and shortly before a UN Special Tribunal in the Hague is due to try alleged suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

He later flew on to Cairo, where he was due Thursday to have talks with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak and other leading officials.

Beirut/Damascus - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Wednesday that he hoped Lebanon's upcoming parliamentary elections will be held in "a tension-free" environment.

He was speaking in Beirut as part of a week-long trip to the Middle East, and shortly before a UN Special Tribunal in the Hague is due to try alleged suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.

Stockholm  - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Wednesday held talks with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and other cabinet members, urging Sweden and the European Union to give "political support" to the Middle East peace process.

Abbas, currently touring several European capitals, expressed his thanks for aid from Sweden that he recognized as one of the main donors to the Palestinians.

"To be honest with you we don't want only financial aid from Sweden," Abbas said at a news conference with Reinfeldt.

Cairo  - Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah held talks in Cairo on Wednesday ahead of broader Palestinian national unity talks scheduled for Thursday.

Hamas politburo member Ezzat al-Rishq described the atmosphere in the talks as "positive and promising" in remarks aired by the Arabic satellite broadcaster al-Jazeera.

Cairo  - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaking in Cairo Wednesday, called the establishment of a "viable and strong" Palestinian state crucial to the security of Israel and the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak, Miliband applauded Egypt's role in brokering ceasefire talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

He urged Palestinian factions to form a national unity government, and called for the creation of a Palestinian state along Israel's 1967 borders.