Militant killed in car explosion

Israel was blamed today for the killing of an Islamic militant who died in a car bomb explosion in the West Bank town of Nablus.

The blast came as Israeli troops withdrew from areas in Hebron another volatile West Bank town as part of truce efforts.

The blast victim, Ahmed Marshoud, was a member of the Islamic militant group Hamas.

On Sunday, Israel killed a regional Hamas leader, saying it targeted him because he helped plot a June suicide bombing that killed 22 people.

Today’s car bomb went off outside an office building in view of an Israeli position on a nearby hilltop. The Israeli army had no immediate comment, though Israel army radio said the blast was set off by Israel.

The Palestinian governor of Nablus, Mahmoud Aloul, said the killing was intended to sabotage truce efforts.

‘‘It’s clear that there are parties that are looking to destroy all the international efforts aimed at stopping Israeli aggression,’’ said Jibril Rajoub, the Palestinian security chief in the West Bank.

Also today, Jewish settlers opened fire on Palestinian farmers, and torched two of their cars near a West Bank village, Palestinian security officials said. There were no reports of injuries.

Israeli troops, backed by tanks, had seized two hilltop neighbourhoods in Hebron on October 5, after Palestinian gunmen repeatedly fired from there at Jewish settler enclaves in the centre of town. The troops withdrew earlier today.

Jewish settlers entered the two neighbourhoods to try to prevent the army leaving. Twenty-three settlers were detained by Israeli police, some on suspicion of assaulting soldiers, officers said.

By daylight, Palestinian security forces entered the two neighbourhoods, setting up checkpoints, patrolling in jeeps and taking over positions from which gunmen had fired at the settler compounds in the past, witnesses said.

Protesting at the pull-back, Israel’s ultra-nationalist National Union party, a patron of the settlement movement, announced it would leave Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s coalition government.

The party has seven seats, and their exit reduces the number of seats in Sharon’s coalition to 78 in the 120-member parliament. While Sharon still has a solid majority, he might now become more dependent on the moderate Labour party to stay in power.

The Hebron pullback was the result of truce talks held Sunday. Israel also agreed to ease some of its stifling travel restrictions in the West Bank.

The United States has been urging both sides to show restraint as the Americans attempt to build support in Arab and Muslim countries for their anti-terror campaign.

The truce has been sorely tested on both sides since it was declared September 26.

On Sunday, Israeli forces shot dead Abdel-Rahman Hamad, a regional leader of Hamas living in the town of Qalqiliya. Palestinians said the killing was a grave ceasefire violation.

Sharon, citing Israel’s right to defend itself, said on Sunday that the shooting ‘‘was not the first nor the last’’.

AP