Jewish settlers shot dead a Palestinian girl while attacking homes in the West Bank city of Hebron today after the funeral of an Israeli soldier killed in a roadside ambush, Palestinian witnesses said.
Eight-year-old Neveen Jamjoum was shot while sitting just
inside the doorway of her house, her mother said. Palestinian medical sources said nine Palestinians were wounded by gunfire.
The violence flared as the United States said it planned talks with Palestinian officials on security reforms and Israel pledged to ease hardships on Palestinians in the West Bank.
The meetings US Secretary of State Mr Colin Powell will hold were expected to be the most senior US contacts with the Palestinian Authority since President Mr George Bush called last month for Yasser Arafat to be sidelined as Palestinian leader. "Last week I met with an Israeli delegation. This is part of the process of moving forward to help the Palestinian community transform itself," said Mr Powell, on an Asian tour. He said the meeting would be held early next month after he returns home.
Powell said the names of the Palestinians in the delegation to Washington would be announced later.
AFP