Israel kills Palestinian gunman, woman despite truce

JENIN, West Bank, Nov 27 (Reuters) Israeli troops killed two Palestinians, including a local militant commander, in the West Bank today, during clashes that raised doubts over how long a shaky truce in the Gaza Strip might last.

The Popular Resistance Committees militant group said the commander was one of its members. The faction is one of the groups behind rocket fire from Gaza that tailed off yesterday as a truce with Israel took hold.

''The crime of the assassination of Abdel-Razek Baker will not pass without punishment,'' the group said in a statement, referring to the 22-year-old militant.

It said it would discuss with other factions whether they should continue to honour the Gaza truce.

The ceasefire has been cited by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as a possible step to reviving peace talks that collapsed before the start of a Palestinian uprising in 2000.

''I hope we are going to move in the next few days to have a similar arrangement in the West Bank,'' Saeb Erekat, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, told Israeli Army Radio.

BUSH DUE IN REGION The ceasefire came into effect three days before U S President George W Bush is scheduled to arrive in the region for a summit in Jordan with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Asked in the interview whether Abbas, a moderate Washington hopes to bolster, would also go to Amman and meet Bush, Erekat said: ''It's possible, that's what I can tell you. I think he is going to Amman but let's see the schedule for the next two days.'' Both Olmert and Abbas have pledged to meet but no date has been set.

Giving details of the West Bank clash, the army said soldiers had been on patrol at a village near the city of Jenin when they came under fire from militants.

An army spokesman said they shot a ''suspicious figure'' who approached them and then another unidentified person who took a gun from the man lying on the ground.

Palestinian hospital officials said the soldiers shot dead a militant in an exchange of fire and a 50-year-old woman who rushed to his aid.

Referring to the incident, Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz told Israel Radio: ''These actions are meant to prevent harm against Israeli civilians.'' REUTERS BDP BS1424