Israel today cancelled a joint security meeting with Palestinian commanders after a raid by Palestinian militants killed two Jewish settlers, Palestinian officials said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the cancellation, which was passed on by an Israeli liaison office in the Gaza Strip, a security official said.
The two sides have held a series of joint meetings of commanders in the field to discuss implementation of a shaky truce agreed on September 26 by Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
The suspension of the meetings came after a night of violence in which the two settlers and two Islamic militant raiders died as well as six Palestinians killed in Israeli army retaliation.
Ahead of the Palestinian raid on the Gaza settlement, more than 20 Palestinians had already been killed and 200 wounded by Israeli gunfire in a series of clashes despite the truce.
AFP