Three Palestinian militant groups combined for a rare joint attack that killed four Israeli soldiers yesterday, defying peace vows made by Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas at a Middle East summit.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, also facing resistance to his acceptance of a new U.S.-backed "roadmap" to peace, was jeered by nationalists during a speech on the plan to a gathering of his right-wing Likud party last night.
Disguised as Israeli soldiers, three gunmen from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades attacked an army post near the Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, the military said. All three were shot dead in a gunbattle.
"Today, the blood of Palestinians says that we are unified in the trench of resistance," said Abdel Aziz Al Rantissi, a Hamas leader. "The war against terrorism of Israelis will continue as long as there is occupation."
Two Palestinian gunmen also killed an unidentified Israeli in an ambush in the West Bank city of Hebron before being shot dead by soldiers patrolling nearby, Israel radio said.
Palestinian hardliners have vowed to defy the reformist Abbas' bid to demilitarise a 32-month-old uprising for statehood, threatening to strangle the latest international peace initiative almost at birth.
Militants oppose decisions at landmark summits which U.S. President George W. Bush held in Aqaba, Jordan, on Wednesday with Abbas and Sharon and in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, a day earlier with Arab leaders.
Militant groups rejected Abbas' call in Aqaba for attacks on Israelis to cease and then broke off truce talks the prime minister had launched before the summit....
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