Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in the West Bank on the second stop of a tour of the region as European diplomats struggled to help end the 10-day- old conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni dismissed a European Union proposal for a cease-fire proposed by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg and Sarkozy faced criticism from Italy that he was diluting the EU effort.

“When everyone conducts his own mission, it weakens the strategic position,” Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told SkyTG24 television today. “We must coordinate our action.”

Sarkozy is meeting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and then will dine with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem. He met earlier today with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as Schwarzenberg led the EU mission.

Sarkozy’s two-day tour of Egypt, the West Bank, Israel, Syria and Lebanon came as Israel drove deeper into Gaza. Israel two nights ago broadened what started as an aerial campaign aimed at stopping rocket attacks on its southern towns and cities into a ground operation involving thousands of troops.

Livni rejected proposals to station European observers in the battle-ravaged Palestinian territory and said conditions aren’t ripe yet for a cease-fire with Hamas.

Israel suffered its first combat death yesterday when a soldier was killed by Hamas gunfire, the army said. At least 56 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the ground operation, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza since the fighting began to 514, said Mu’awia Hassanein, chief of emergency medical services in Gaza.

Sarkozy and Abbas are due to hold a press conference later today in Ramallah.

To contact the reporters on this story: Helene Fouquet in Jerusalem at Hfouquet1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 5, 2009 11:59 EST