Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinians near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip today, and the government ordered the evacuation of four settlement outposts in the West Bank, Israeli media reported.

Israeli premier Ariel Sharon called his top ministers together today to discuss resuming peace talks with the Palestinians, a day after the military killed nine children along with a terrorist leader.

Violence punctuated negotiations to resolve a three-week standoff at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian, while Israeli tanks briefly entered the city of Hebron early today.

Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs had a meeting set for today to discuss implementation of a ceasefire negotiated by CIA director George Tenet, after violence coloured the first day of the truce.

The home of a West Bank security chief was attacked by an Israeli tank today after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defended his decision to use war planes against Palestinian targets.