Palestinians head back to work as Israel lifts closure

Still, Palestinian officials were giving the case high priority, he said.

Also Saturday, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met with Cyril Svoboda, foreign minister of the Czech Republic, his first high-level visitor in months.

Several European countries have promised to resume high-level contacts with Arafat, whom Israel is trying to isolate at his compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah, said Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath after a nine-nation tour of Europe.