Pope Benedict XVI invited Muslim envoys to meet with him at his summer residence Monday for what the Holy See says is urgently needed dialogue after the crisis ignited by his remarks on Islam and violence.
Turkey and Iran immediately agreed to attend.
In the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian police guarding a Roman Catholic church exchanged gunfire for 20 minutes with would-be assailants, residents said.
No damage or injuries were immediately reported.
Thousands of Muslim worshipers marched against Benedict in Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Sudan.
