Day of violence kills 12 in Israel

Israeli troops shot dead five armed Palestinians and a nine-year-old boy in separate incidents near a Jewish settlement yesterday, hours after a suicide bomber blew up a fast food restaurant, killing a 15-year-old girl.

The violence, which left 11 Palestinians and one Israeli dead, came as Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon left Washington to fly to London for talks today with Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Sharon won the firm support of President George Bush before leaving the US, with the American leader criticising Yasser Arafat, and recognising Israel’s ‘‘right to defend herself’’.

Just before midnight last night, troops fired at seven armed Palestinians who approached the road leading to the Jewish settlement of Netzarim in Gaza, killing five, the army said.

There was no exchange of fire, but the army said it found explosives and assault rifles on the bodies.

An army commander in the area, Colonel Yoel Strick, said the attack was unusual due to the large number of attackers and their use of military techniques in approaching the area.

In a joint statement, a number of Palestinian militias in Gaza took responsibility for the attack and confirmed that five fighters were killed.

Earlier yesterday, in the same area, nine-year-old Palestinian Hussein Mitwi was killed in his thatched hut, in what his mother said was unprovoked Israeli shooting.

An Israeli army watchtower is about 200 yards from the hut, which is part of a Bedouin camp.

The army said it was looking into the allegations. Earlier, the military had said troops near Netzarim came under heavy fire from a nearby Palestinian police post and returned fire. Soldiers destroyed the police post, the army said.

Yesterday’s suicide attack at a restaurant in the coastal resort of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv, was the 68th suicide bombing since the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting nearly 21 months ago. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

A 15-year old girl died of her wounds a few hours after the blast, and eight other bystanders were hurt.

Blood was splattered on the front of a food counter after the restaurant’s glass doors shattered, spraying broken glass in all directions.

The Palestinian leadership issued a statement denouncing the attack and saying that ‘‘it gives Israel a reason to attack the Palestinian people.’’

Informed of the Herzliya attack during a meeting with Congressional leaders, Sharon said, ‘‘the Palestinian Authority has not done anything to try to stop this kind of thing,’’ insisting on an end to violence before peace talks.

Also yesterday, a Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli soldiers after he opened fire on a civilian vehicle in Gaza, and another was killed when a bomb he was planting near the border fence with Israel exploded prematurely, the army said.

In the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinians killed two fellow Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel. The body of one was dragged to the spot where a local guerrilla leader was killed in an Israeli helicopter strike in April.