BBC Sunday, 5 August, 2001, 20:30 GMT 21:30 UK Fresh violence erupts in Middle East

Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian militant in the northern West Bank, just hours after a Palestinian gunman sprayed soldiers with automatic fire near the Israel Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv.

The dead militant - 20-year-old Amer Hudeiri of the radical Islamic organisation, Hamas - was hit by two missiles in his car in Tulkarm fired from an Israeli helicopter.

The gunman in Tel Aviv injured at least 10 people, including eight soldiers, before the car in which he was travelling crashed into a lamp-post.

The violence comes a day after another Israeli attack nearly killed Marwan Barghouti, one of the most senior aides to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, in Ramallah.

In other clashes in the West Bank on Sunday, a second Palestinian and an Israeli woman settler were killed in separate shootings.

Israel has killed more than 60 Palestinian activists in targeted attacks since the start of the intifada, or uprising, more than 10 months ago.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon defended the policy - which has drawn international criticism even from Israel's ally, the US - as a "defensive counter-terrorism measure".

"A few minutes ago, an attack was launched against a terrorist who was about to send Palestinian kamikazes in an attack at the heart of Israel," he said, apparently referring to the Tulkarm killing.

Mr Sharon also ruled out the introduction of international monitors, who have been demanded by the Palestinians to keep tabs on the Israeli military.

Overall, some 700 lives have been lost in 10 months of violence, including more than 500 Palestinians and 100 Israelis.

Violence follows peace rally

The Tel Aviv attack - unprecedented in the history of Israeli-Palestinian violence - took place in the middle of the day, on one of the city's busiest streets, as soldiers were leaving the Defence Ministry for lunch.

BBC correspondent Paul Wood says the Tel Aviv gunman left his car to fire at his victims with an M-16 automatic rifle.

The 30-year-old father-of-three from east Jerusalem came under fire himself and crashed his car as he attempted to drive away.

He was taken to Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital, along with the other casualties, and later died of a head injury.

An Israeli radio reporter at the scene described seeing a wounded soldier lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

On Saturday night, the Israeli movement Peace Now staged its biggest demonstration in months in Tel Aviv - with thousands of marchers calling for an end to military escalation by the Israeli army.

"Contrary to rightwing propaganda, there is an alternative to war: a ceasefire supervised by international observers and a return to the negotiating table," said Peace Now official Moria Shlomot.

Gaza trouble

There were no casualties when Israeli helicopters attacked a Palestinian police post in southern Gaza during the night.

The local police commander, Colonel Fawzi Zaqouk, told the Associated Press news agency that he and his officers evacuated their headquarters as soon as they heard the helicopters approaching.

"All Palestinians are now the target of the Israeli military," the colonel said.

A senior Palestinian official has unilaterally called off weekly security talks with Israel because of attacks on security posts.

The Wednesday night meetings had continued despite breaches of a US-brokered ceasefire by both sides and growing evidence that security co-operation between them had effectively come to an end.

-- Anonymous, August 05, 2001