Gunmen kill mother and kids in Gaza

PALESTINIAN gunmen killed a pregnant Jewish settler and her four daughters in Gaza yesterday as members of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's party voted on his controversial plan to evacuate the territory.

An Israeli army spokesman said the settler family a woman of 34 who was eight months pregnant and daughters aged 11, nine, seven and two was ambushed in their car on the corridor road between Israel and Gush Katif, the main Gaza settlement.

Israeli troops shot dead the two gunmen shortly afterwards. Hours later an Israeli helicopter launched three rockets at a Palestinian building in the middle of Gaza City.

It was the first such killing in Gaza since December 2002, when a Gush Katif settler was ambushed on the same road.

US President George W Bush provided unprecedented guarantees to Mr Sharon's plan for "disengagement" from conflict with Palestinians. But Gaza's 7,500 settlers mounted a strong "no" campaign saying pulling out would be a "reward to terror".

Polls before the vote predicted defeat in what would be an embarrassing blow to the historic move. Results were due at midnight.

Yesterday's killing of settlers may have widened the "no" majority in the right-wing party.

The referendum of right-wing Likud's 193,000 members was not binding and Mr Sharon's aides said even if his plan was rejected he would present it to his cabinet and to parliament.

But a "no" decision would deter sceptical Likud ministers and parliamentarians from endorsing the plan. A 'yes' could also be problematic, risking a schism in Likud, defection of pro-settler nationalist coalition partners and early elections.

Mr Sharon made an 11th-hour appeal for passage of his plan. "It will determine if Israel makes progress in all realms of life security, economy, education, employment and relations with the US or rolls backward," he said.

Mr Sharon's unilateral scheme also entails holding on to larger West Bank settlement blocs containing the majority of Jews on territory Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East war.

Israeli forces have cranked up a campaign to cripple militant groups by killing off their leaders to prevent them claiming victory once soldiers and settlers depart Gaza.

Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees said they carried out yesterday's attack to avenge the assassination of the Hamas leader and his successor.

"We tell Sharon that Israelis should flee Gaza and not leave as if it was a victory for them," they said in a statement.

Sharon condemned the attack as "terrible murder" and said it was an attempt to disrupt his plan, which Palestinians fear could dash their dream of a viable state in the near future.