Israelis, Palestinian killed in outburst of West Bank violence

PALESTINIAN gunmen killed three Israelis in a drive-by shooting yesterday and Israeli troops shot dead a senior Palestinian militant in an eruption of violence in the occupied West Bank.

The killings a month after Israel completed a pullout from the Gaza Strip tore at a flimsy ceasefire and raised fears of a resurgence in violence in the West Bank where Jewish settlements continue to grow on land Palestinians want for a state.

Hoped-for peacemaking momentum from the withdrawal has not transpired. A Middle East summit has been postponed. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet US President George W Bush this week to discuss how to resuscitate a ‘road map’ peace plan.