As more violence was reported in the West Bank, US President George W Bush has backed Israel's right to defend itself and insisted Palestinian President Yasser Arafat move further down the road to reform before a Middle East peace summit could be held.
"Israel has a right to defend herself, and at the same time that Israel does so, the prime minister is willing to discuss the conditions necessary to achieve what we want, which is a secure region and a hopeful region," President Bush told reporters as he met Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon at the White House.
Violence did not let up as the two leaders conferred. Israeli military sources said a Palestinian gunman opened fire at a convoy of Israeli civilian cars escorted by an army jeep along a road near a settlement in the Gaza Strip. He was killed when they returned fire.
The incident came after Israel sent tanks into the West Bank town of Ramallah to encircle President Arafat's already battered headquarters and drive home a message that the Palestinian leader had failed to stop suicide attacks against Israelis.
President Bush met with Mr Sharon as part of consultations with Middle East leaders and as Washington planned its next moves aimed at ending Israeli-Palestinian violence and laying the groundwork for a Palestinian state.
President Bush said he and Mr Sharon discussed "reforms necessary that would enable a Palestinian Authority to emerge" that would give Israel and the Palestinians confidence to move ahead in peacemaking to end more than 20 months of bloodshed.
President Bush said President Arafat's administration still had a long way to go toward reform before a possible Middle East peace summit could convene.
"The conditions aren't even there yet (for a summit). That's because no one has confidence in the emerging Palestinian government," he said.
"I think we got what we wanted on this trip," a senior Israeli source said after the White House talks.