JERUSALEM Ñ Palestinian insurgents alligned with Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat have launched a new offensive amid the latest U.S. effort to implement a ceasefire with Israel.

Three Israelis were killed in two separate attacks on Tuesday. Two Israelis were killed in the northern city of Afula in what Israeli officials termed a suicide mission that included Fatah insurgents loyal to Arafat. The other attack took place hours later in the Jewish settlement bloc of Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip. The attacks marked the beginning of a new U.S. effort to implement a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians. PA sources said the U.S. mission, led by Assistant Secretary of State William Burns and [Ret.] Gen. Anthony Zinni, seeks to reduce the cooling-off period before a diplomatic initiative is launched by Washington.

Earlier this year, Israel, the PA and the United States agreed on a seven-day cooling-off period before other issues Ñ such as Jewish settlements Ñ are discussed. PA sources said that Washington is proposing that this period would be reduced to as little as three days.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said he envisaged a Palestinian state alongside Israel but both sides would have to make "difficult compromises."

"We haven't been able to get this ceasefire going. And we have made a judgment that, let's try to escalate the level of dialogue with respect to security relations and getting to the ceasefire, " Powell said. "We're prepared to engage at a higher level with General Zinni and Assistant Secretary Burns. But both sides have got to come to the table prepared to give, prepared to compromise."

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