Washington: The United States will seek this week to take advantage of the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq to re-launch efforts to bring peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell is to head for the Middle East to revive peace talks that were put to one side during the Iraq war.

The trip to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria has not yet been officially announced. But US officials said Powell is expected to leave on May 1.