U.S. envoy Dennis Ross shuttled between Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip while President Clinton worked the phones Sunday, trying to finesse a deal to start an overdue Israeli withdrawal from Hebron.

With warnings of violence multiplying from Jewish settlers in the West Bank town and from Islamic militants, both sides were anxious to reach agreement soon.

Ross and the Israelis reported progress; the Palestinians said substantive differences remain.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met with Ross on Sunday night, and both Palestinian sources and Shai Bazak, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said after the meeting that agreement did not appear imminent.

Ross made no comment after the meeting. But he suggested earlier that a new deal on the months-overdue pullback agreed to by Israel’s previous government could be delayed if Arafat goes ahead with plans to leave today on a weeklong trip to Europe.

Netanyahu has promised to honor the earlier agreement, but wants more security for the 450 Jewish settlers in Hebron.

Clinton telephoned Arafat and Netanyahu from Washington to press for progress. Clinton told a campaign rally that he “pleaded with them again to resolve their differences, to preserve what is a holy land for so many of us so that their children can grow up in peace and dignity and honor.”