One settler was killed in a shooting attack near the West Bank settlement of Ateret, north of Ramallah, Sunday morning. Israel Radio reported that Palestinians opened fire on the woman's car around 7.30 A.M. (local time), mortally wounding her. She succumbed to her wounds a short time later.
Israeli security forces conducted a search of the area for the gunmen, who escaped. One Israeli soldier was lightly wounded when the troops came under fire. Israel Radio quoted Palestinian sources as saying that a Palestinian policeman had been killed in the fire fight.
According to Haaretz, Jerusalem police were on high alert Sunday after warnings of possible suicide attacks in this city. Large numbers of officers were deployed Saturday night throughout the city, along the seam line between the east and west parts of the city and in areas containing cafe bars, theaters and other places of entertainment.
Eight Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire in the Palestinian territories at the weekend. According to Palestinian sources, three of the dead had no involvement in armed activities, four of the victims had been involved in activities against Israel targets and one had been shot after leaving his house during a curfew.
Despite the continued killings, the Israeli-Palestinian joint security committee meeting, mediated by U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni, is to meet again Sunday.
Zinni reported to Assistant Secretary of State William Burns there was "some headway" toward a cease-fire during talks on Friday, a U.S. official said.
Zinni has been meeting with both sides for the past 10 days on a U.S. truce plan that both Israelis and Palestinians have endorsed in principle.
Zinni "shows a serious determination to reach a solution within the coming two days, and we hope he will succeed in doing it," said Abdel Razak Majaida, the Palestinian chief of public security in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the two Islamic groups that have carried out most of the suicide attacks, said they would not abide by any cease-fire agreement.
Islamic Jihad leader Sheikh Abdullah Shami called on the Palestinian to "stay in the trenches of resistance because there is no way to end the occupation other than struggle."
Hamas spokesman Ismail Abu Shanab said Israel could not be trusted to observe a cease-fire. "They didn't respect any cease fire declarations (previously), we are not going to repeat that with them," Abu Shanab said.
Israel, backed by the United States, has repeatedly called on Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to clamp down on these groups. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
