Jerusalem ? Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas demanded Sunday that the internationally backed “road map” to peace be put into place immediately, while a senior Bush administration official said definitive action was needed by both Israel and the Palestinians.

Assistant Secretary of State William Burns avoided taking sides while speaking to reporters after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, but he pushed both sides to adopt the road map.

“That’s going to require a restoration of Palestinian efforts against terror,” Burns said. “It’s also going to require steps taken by all sides.”

Burns’ comments were part of a diplomatic flurry that suggested Israel and the Palestinians were trying to seize the opportunity presented by the unveiling of the road map — even as violence continued. Since the plan’s presentation last Wednesday, three Israeli civilians, 20 Palestinians and a British journalist have died.

In renewed violence Sunday, a 14-year-old Palestinian boy, identified as Zahi Hijazi, was killed by Israeli troops after he tried to climb onto an armored vehicle in the West Bank city of Nablus, the Israeli army said.

A Palestinian demonstrator, backdropped by the smoke screen of a smoke grenade thrown by Israeli forces, hurls an object in the direction of an Israeli army jeep, not seen, during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the Balata refugee camp adjacent to the northern West Bank town of Nablus. One youth was killed and several others were wounded during Sunday's clashes.

On Friday night, James Miller, 34, of Britain, was killed in the southern Gaza city of Rafah while he and his crew were filming Israeli troops during an operation against Palestinian militants. The Israeli army said Sunday that Miller was hit from behind, raising the possibility that he was killed by Palestinian and not Israeli fire.

Palestinian officials said they were trying to set up a meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. It would be the highest level talks since peace talks fell apart more than two years ago.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Mohammed Dahlan told The Associated Press on Sunday he would lead a Palestinian delegation for security talks with the Israelis on Thursday — the first such meeting between the two sides since August.

The peace plan’s first phase calls for a Palestinian crackdown on terror groups and an Israeli freeze on Jewish settlements, among other steps. The plan says the steps must be parallel.

Israel has objected to carrying out its part at the same time as the expected Palestinian crackdown on militants, saying an end to all violence is a precondition for any progress.

In Jerusalem, Burns met with Israeli officials to set the stage for Secretary of State Colin Powell’s upcoming visit, which Israeli officials said would come Saturday. The White House has not released an exact date.

Shalom reiterated Israel’s demand to Burns that Palestinians must give up their demand for the “right of return” of about 4 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants to its territory in exchange for the creation of a Palestinian state with provisional borders.

Burns was to meet Sharon and Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz later Sunday, and Abbas today.