Tel Aviv  - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in Israel Monday night for a 36-hour visit, during which she will hold talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

The trip, Clinton's first to Israel and the Palestinian areas as Washington's top diplomat, is a familiarization visit.

According to the Ha'aretz daily, Clinton's discussions with Israeli officials will focus on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and on the formulation of a ceasefire agreement with the Islamic Hamas movement, which administers the Gaza Strip.

She is also expected to brief Israeli officials on Monday's summit at the Egyptian resort of Sharm al-Sheikh, where donor countries pledged 4.481 billion dollars for reconstruction of the Strip, battered by a 22-day Israeli offensive launched in response to militant rocket fire on southern Israel.

On Tuesday, Clinton is scheduled to meet Israeli President Shimon Peres, outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, outgoing Defence Minister Ehud Barak, and prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Wednesday she is slated to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. dpa