Israeli forces shot dead five Palestinians in three separate confrontations and another was killed when a public telephone exploded in his hand.

Italy threw a spanner in the works today just as Israel and the Palestinians agreed to terms for ending the 36 day siege of Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity.

Palestinian leaders today agreed to exile 13 militants hiding in the besieged Church of the Nativity, in a deal that would resolve the 35-day standoff with Israel at one of Christianity’s holiest sites.

Israeli-Palestinian violence was escalating again despite US appeals for calm, with six Palestinians and one Israeli dead in a series of incidents two days after the assassination of an Israeli Cabinet minister.

A militia leader wanted by Israel has been killed by a car explosion.