Israelis kill two in gun battle

ISRAELI troops killed two Palestinians, including a fugitive Islamic militant, in a gun battle at a West Bank firehouse yesterday.

As daily violence continued, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tried to arrange a meeting with President George W Bush to discuss a US peace plan.

Mr Sharon, re-elected to another term this week in a sweeping victory, spoke with Mr Bush by phone about meeting in Washington to discuss an American peace plan that aims to create a Palestinian state by 2005, a senior Israeli official said.