(BBC) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has made a rare warning to Israel not to do anything that might erode confidence in the peace process.
At the start of her latest Middle East visit, Ms Rice told reporters Israel's revival of a West Bank road-building project could hamper negotiations.
She met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday.
Ms Rice is trying to pave the way for a US peace conference next month.
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have been trying to produce a joint document agreeing a framework for the November summit.
Ms Rice, who also met Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday, told journalists her trip was unlikely to produce a breakthrough on the statement.
But the acting Palestinian foreign minister warned that without a framework jointly agreed with Israel setting out specific differences, they would not attend the conference.
Israel, however, wants a more general statement and Mr Olmert's spokeswoman said the prime minister did not believe a joint document was a precondition for the summit.
Responding to a question about Israeli confiscation of Arab land last week, Ms Rice told reporters on the plane to Tel Aviv the timing of the move had been too sensitive.
"The point that I will be making is that we have to be very careful as we are trying to move toward the establishment of a Palestinian state about actions and statements that erode confidence," Ms Rice said.
Israel insists the land was earmarked for a road-building project to help connect Palestinian communities.
But Palestinians claim it is designed to increase Israeli control over the West Bank.