U.N. chief to travel to Mideast

An Arab woman walks past an Israeli police officer standing guard in Jerusalem's Old City

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will travel to the Middle East next week for diplomatic talks, his spokesman announced Friday.

The news came as U.S. officials in the region continued efforts to strengthen a shaky cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians.

A security meeting between U.S., Israeli and Palestinian officials was scheduled for Friday in the West Bank town of Ramallah, Israeli and Palestinian officials said.

On Thursday, U.S. CIA Director George Tenet met separately with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and security commanders.

U.S. mediator William Burns also met with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and planned to meet Palestinian leaders later Friday.

VIDEO CNN's Ben Wedeman reports on efforts to keep the cease-fire on Gaza borders (June 9) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Jerrold Kessel reports on the politics that threaten the delicate cease-fire in the Middle East (June 6) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     ALSO Annan hopes to restart peace talks on Mideast trip

Meanwhile, incidents of violence continue. An Israeli driver was shot and severely wounded by Palestinian gunmen near Ramallah, an Israeli army spokesman told CNN.

There was no immediate response from the Palestinians about the Israeli report.

CNN United Nations Correspondent Richard Roth offered some context behind the news that Annan was planning to travel to the region and join the peace efforts.

"He is trusted by both sides, and he is going to use that weight perhaps to get them to end violence and come to some sort of path toward dialogue," Roth said.

Diplomats are using a report by an international committee headed by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell as a tool to try to end eight months of Israeli-Palestinian fighting that both sides blame on each other. (More on the Mitchell report)

The Mitchell committee report calls for an immediate cessation of violence, confidence-building measures by both sides and then a return to peace talks.

Israeli paramedics transfer a man wounded Friday in a roadside shooting near the northern West Bank settlement of Ofra

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared a unilateral cease-fire on May 22. Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat called for an end to violence on June 2, after 21 people -- mostly Israeli teen-agers -- were killed in the suicide bombing of a Tel Aviv, Israel, nightclub.

No one has yet publicly claimed responsibility for the attack, which Arafat has denounced.

Israel says everything is dependent on a total cessation of violence and incitement, but the Palestinians say Israel must commit to the confidence-building measures, especially a freeze in construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

CNN United Nations Correspondent Richard Roth contributed to this report.