Four Palestinians were killed, peace efforts are given an impetus

Three Palestinians were killed and a fourth was strongly wounded by the bullets of the Israeli soldiers near Deir al-Balah in the downtown of Gaza, just hours after the killing of a nine-year old Palestinian child in Rafah to the south of the sector, according to medical sources.

The Israeli occupation army alleged that the three men were inside a car which opened fire at a group of Israeli settlers passing in the area, and the soldiers bombarded the car and its passengers.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces hit four Palestinians, including a teenager upon breaking into Yata town to the south of al-Khalil. The Israeli forces also detained at least two Palestinians on pretext of being members in the resistance groups.

While peace efforts in the region started to gain a vaster impetus, the Israeli President Moshe Katsav abstained from declaring a frank support for the non- official Geneva peace document between the Palestinians and the Israelis, as he met with sides who drew this document on Wednesday.