Prime Minister Tony Blair is on the third day of a visit to the Middle East, designed to give renewed momentum to the search for peace in the region.
On Saturday he urged the international community to give its support to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in his call for parliamentary and presidential elections at the earliest opportunity in the Palestinian territories.
Mr Blair has already visited Turkey and Egypt to sound out Muslim leaders on their assessment of the prospects for progress in the peace process ahead of meetings with Mr Abbas and Israeli leaders.
Downing Street confirmed that the timing of the current trip was influenced by the expectation that Mr Abbas would make a dramatic intervention in his speech on Saturday.
His call for elections came after months of stalemate in the peace process following the victory of radical Islamist group Hamas in January's parliamentary election.
Hamas denounced the Fatah leader's call for elections as a "coup" and challenged his right to dissolve the Palestinian parliament, which is not due to go to the polls until 2010.
Hours after his televised speech in Ramallah, armed supporters of Fatah and Hamas exchanged gunfire in the southern Gaza Strip.
Mr Blair hailed Mr Abbas's intervention as "a very important speech at a critical time".
It would be a "major strategic opportunity missed" if countries within the Middle East and beyond did not give Mr Abbas the support he needs now, he warned.
As well as visits to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Mr Blair's trip will include talks with political leaders in the United Arab Emirates.
