Israel bowed to international criticism today by easing a blockade of cities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that is choking the Palestinian economy.
Under criticism from Washington and the European Union, the Israeli army reopened two roads to Ramallah today despite saying it had information that militants in the city were planning a bomb attack in nearby Jerusalem.
But hours after the closure on four West Bank cities was lifted, an army spokesman said the roads around the town of Qalqilya had been closed again after an Israeli car was shot at.
Mr Chris Patten, the EU Commissioner for External Affairs, and Swedish Foreign Minister Ms Anna Lindh had voiced their concern in talks with Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Mr Shimon Peres.
"It does seem to us that if the economy continues to deteriorate in the West Bank and Gaza...if the Palestinian administration is undermined...it's going to be more difficult to relaunch the process, which had travelled a long way before, alas, it capsized," Mr Patten said.
Washington warned Israel yesterday that if the economic pressure of the blockades brought about a collapse of the Palestinian Authority, it would not augur well for peace.
Israel has dug trenches and deployed tanks near Palestinian-ruled areas, preventing Palestinians from travelling between towns and restricting the movement of goods.
In fresh violence, Israeli soldiers fired tank-mounted machine-guns in a battle with Palestinian gunmen at Rafah near the Egyptian-Gaza border.