The Israeli army killed five Palestinians today as aides to Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat said he would go to an Arab summit next week after three months of confinement.
Israeli soldiers shot dead two Palestinians armed with grenades who attacked an outpost near the Jewish settlement of Dugit in the Gaza Strip, an army statement said. The militant Islamic group Hamas said the two men belonged to its armed wing.
A Palestinian teacher was killed when Israeli tanks fired a shell at the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza, Palestinian security sources and hospital officials said.
Before dawn, Israeli troops killed a Palestinian in the Rafah refugee camp on Gaza's border with Egypt, Palestinian security sources said. The army said troops had entered Rafah in search of tunnels used to smuggle arms.
Palestinian sources said another Palestinian was killed by soldiers at a junction near a Jewish settlement in Gaza.
Today’s killings, in the wake of three Palestinian suicide bombings since Wednesday, tore at hopes that US envoy Anthony Zinni would succeed in brokering a ceasefire after failing in two previous attempts.
In Ramallah, Palestinian officials said Mr Arafat planned to go to the Arab summit in what would be his first trip since Israeli tanks restricted him to his West Bank compound in December.
A senior Palestinian official who asked not to be identified said Mr Arafat would make a stopover in Cairo to see Egyptian President Mr Hosni Mubarak before flying on to Beirut.
US officials are believed to be keen for the Palestinian leader to attend the summit next Wednesday and Thursday in Beirut to help give momentum to a Saudi plan for Middle East peace.