Israelis destroy houses of militants

Israeli soldiers destroyed two houses belonging to suspected West Bank militants yesterday, after soldiers killed a child and two attackers in the Gaza Strip.

The military said soldiers destroyed the house of Iyad Sawalha, an Islamic Jihad member responsible for a suicide attack that killed 17 in May, and knocked down the family home of Murad Abu Asal, who blew himself up in January, wounding two.

Soldiers also arrested Sudki Zaro, a Palestinian militant who they said was linked to the fatal shooting in March of an Israeli baby.

A five-year-old Palestinian was shot dead on Thursday in central Gaza Strip, near an Israeli settlement. The Israeli military said three Palestinians had opened fire at soldiers, who had fired back, but Palestinians said the shooting was unprovoked.

As the violence continued, a meeting originally set for Thursday to discuss a partial Israeli withdrawal in Gaza was put off. Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, the Israeli Defence Minister, was to see Abdel Razak Yehiyeh, the Palestinian Interior Minister, to discuss an Israeli proposal called "Gaza first". (AP)