Two killed in West Bank violence

Palestinian gunmen shot dead a Jewish settler in the West Bank today, the Israeli army reported, shortly after soldiers killed…

Palestinian gunmen shot dead a Jewish settler in the West Bank today, the Israeli army reported, shortly after soldiers killed a Palestinian in a separate shooting.

Israeli Army Radio reported soldiers shot the Palestinian near a roadblock between the West Bank and Israel when he resisted arrest.

It said army medics tried to resuscitate him but he died at the scene. The army said it was checking the report.

Funeral
Palestinian relatives of Adel Al-Moganen (16), who was killed by Israeli soldiers, at his funeral yesterday

A security officer at the Homesh settlement, Yaacov Rosenblatt, told army Radio the Jewish settler was killed en route to a nearby Palestinian village where he often traded with locals.

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Local Palestinians reported that after the shooting a group of Jewish settlers rioted in the village and soldiers arrested several suspects.

Earlier Palestinian President Yasser Arafat denounced as a lie Israel's declaration it remained committed to a US-brokered ceasefire aimed at ending eight months of renewed violence.

"It is an attempt to deceive international public opinion," Mr Arafat told reporters.

"They [the Israelis] are still firing from their tanks and machine-guns and are still using internationally banned weapons, and the settlers are pursuing their crimes under the protection of the Israeli army."

But in a statement that accused the Palestinian Authority of violating the truce, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's security cabinet said Israel would not fully lift a blockade of Palestinian towns and villages until "terror" ceased .

Mr Arafat met Egyptian President Mr Hosni Mubarak today for brief talks on the situation.

AFP/Reuters