1.   As a peacemaking gesture that day, Helms unblocked a group of nominees and lifted the hold on seven tax treaties.

2.   A good starting point, he said, were a U.S.-proposed cease-fire and peacemaking gestures recommended by a commission headed by former Senator George Mitchell.

3.   If Zinni can rebuild a cease-fire amid unprecedented bloodletting, he intends to push such peacemaking gestures as Israeli troop pullbacks and Palestinian detention of terrorist suspects.

4.   Powell talked to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by telephone Sunday night, reinforcing U.S. interest in resurrecting a broken cease-fire and moving on to peacemaking gestures.

5.   The Irish government, meanwhile, released two IRA inmates early in a peacemaking gesture south of the border.

6.   The Palestinians accuse Netanyahu of using security as a excuse to evade commitments for phased pullbacks on the West Bank and other peacemaking gestures.