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Shooting casts shadow over Abbas-Sharon talks

Palestinian gunmen killed an Israeli civilian driving in the northern West Bank early yesterday in an attack underscoring the challenge Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas faces in preventing violence during Israel's planned pullout from the Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements.

Abbas declared his commitment to a peaceful withdrawal as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrapped up a two-day visit to the region on Sunday. A quiet pullout could pave the way for the resumption of peace talks after more than four years of violence.

Violence has flared in recent days -- ahead of a planned summit today between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon -- despite a shaky four-month-old truce between the two sides.

Early yesterday, Palestinian militants hiding on the side of a road shot at a minivan as it drove near the West Bank town of Jenin, the army said.

The driver was killed, a 16-year-old passenger was slightly wounded, and the gunmen escaped, the army added.

The minivan, riddled with bullets, burst into flames. The vehicle was left a blackened, charred husk, its paint melted and its windows shattered.

Islamic Jihad militants claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for the alleged desecration of the Islamic holy book at a prison in Israel, and Israel's continued pursuit of the group's members. Israel rejects the desecration charges as fabrication.

Khadr Adnan, an Islamic Jihad spokesman in the West Bank, said the attack didn't signal the end of the group's ceasefire with Israel. "We are still committed to calm," he said.

The shooting was the third Islamic Jihad attack in as many days. On Saturday, three militants opened fire at an Israeli army post in Gaza, sparking a gunbattle that killed one of the attackers. On Sunday, a group of militants attacked soldiers near the Gaza border with Egypt, killing one and wounding another. One of the militants was killed.

Yesterday's attack, together with an upsurge in other violence, "underscores the need for the Palestinian Authority to take definitive and decisive measures to prevent terror against Israel," said David Baker, an official in Sharon's office.

Earlier yesterday, Palestinians fired three mortar shells at two Jewish settlements in Gaza. No injuries were reported.

Israel is afraid that militants intent on proving they are driving Israel out of Gaza will step up attacks during the mid-August pullout. It has threatened harsh retaliation if settlers or troops are attacked.

Speaking to Israel TV on Sunday night, Abbas said he is committed to preserving the calm during the withdrawal.

"We will do all that we can to ensure that the disengagement is carried out quietly," he said.

He said the Palestinians already have thwarted "dozens" of attacks with Israeli cooperation, but added that his forces "can't control everything" because of limited resources.

Sharon originally proposed the Gaza pullout as a unilateral act, but after reaching a truce with Abbas in February, he said he would be willing to coordinate it with the Palestinians. Cooperation on the pullout is expected to be the main topic of today's summit between Sharon and Abbas.

After much negotiation on the agenda and site of the meeting, it was agreed that the summit would be held this afternoon at Sharon's residence in Jerusalem, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said.

Rice's visit was also intended to give new momentum to coordination efforts.

In a key sign of cooperation, Rice said the two sides have agreed to coordinate the demolition of settler homes in Gaza, which would allow construction of larger apartment buildings for Palestinians in the densely populated coastal strip. The fate of the roughly 1,200 settler homes had been a sticking point in recent weeks.

Abbas also said he is prepared to work with Israel in removing settler homes in Gaza, and expects to reach an agreement allowing Palestinian security forces to enter the settlements after the withdrawal to prevent theft and looting.

Sharon said on Sunday he hoped the pullout would lead to a resumption of peace talks, which broke down after the outbreak of the latest Palestinian uprising in September 2000. But he said future progress would depend on the Palestinians' ability to crack down on militants.

Israeli-Palestinian violence has dropped sharply since Sharon and Abbas declared the cease-fire, though sporadic fighting has continued.
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