Cairo  - US President Barack Obama's envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, arrived in Cairo airport on Tuesday, at the beginning of a tour of the region.

Shortly after touching down at Cairo airport, Mitchell had private talks with EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana, who is making his own tour of the region in an attempt to turn twin ceasefire declarations from Hamas and Israel into a longer-term peace.

On Tuesday morning, one Israeli soldier was killed by a bomb blast near the Gaza border. Israeli troops fired at nearby houses in response, killing a Palestinian farmer.

The US envoy will meet with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit later on Tuesday night, and will meet with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak on Wednesday morning, before traveling to Israel and the West Bank for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

He is then expected to continue to Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Britain, and France. (dpa)