The Palestinian militant group Hamas said it was responsible for a pre-dawn raid in southern Israel today in which Palestinian gunmen shot dead four Israeli soldiers before being killed themselves.
Mr Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority has condemned the attack. Speaking at a political conference in Beirut, Hamas politiburo head Khaled Meshal identified the gunmen as Hamas members Imad Rizq and Mohammed Jamoos.
The attack was the most serious violence since Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, under US and Israeli pressure, last month called a halt to armed attacks on Israelis by Palestinian militants.Hamas had said that it was suspending attacks inside Israel.Israeli state radio said a state of maximum alert had been declared in several Israeli settlements in the south of the Gaza Strip following the "serious incident". The radio said it could not give details as it was bound by censorship.The latest attack is sure to discussed by senior Palestinian and Israeli officials at a meeting in South Africa today.The three-day meeting will be hosted by President Thabo Mbeki and attended by officials from both sides along with former and current South African ministers. A recent lull in Middle East violence had created a glint of optimism in attempts to restart a stalled peace process but today's attacks may temper the feeling.The Palestinian and Israeli delegates at the talks will include Palestinian minister Mr Saeb Erakat, Israel's parliamentary speaker Mr Avraham Burg and former Israeli minister Mr Yossi Beilin, one of the architects of the Oslo peace accords.South African delegates include former foreign minister Mr Pik Botha and one of the architects of the country's constitution, Mr Roelf Meyer.The meeting will be held at an unspecified location.Israel's seizure last week of a ship it said was carrying 50 tonnes of munitions on the orders of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mr Yasser Arafat has already hampered US-brokered peace efforts.
AFP &