Two killed in response to Palestinian road ambush

Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians and unleashed air strikes yesterday after militants killed three soldiers in a surge of bloodshed.

In the northern West Bank near Nablus, troops guarding the Jewish settlement of Shavei Shomron killed a Palestinian man and a woman. The army said a group of Palestinians had fired at the soldiers. A third Palestinian was arrested and a fourth fled.

"We found on the Palestinians a rifle, grenades and an explosive charge. It looks like they planned to use them on the settlers or troops stationed there," an Israeli army spokes-man said. The dead man was identified by Palestinians as a Hamas activist aged 20, Ayman Hinawi, and the woman as Suad Jadallah, 48.

The incident followed a Palestinian ambush late on Thursday in which three soldiers on patrol were killed along a road used by Jewish settlers near Hebron. The militant group Hamas said it had made the attack to avenge Israeli military actions against the Palestinian uprising.

Israel responded with air strikes in the Gaza Strip, which destroyed a Gaza City foundry the army said was used to make arms, as well as several homes in the Rafah refugee camp. Heavy firefights erupted between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen during the raid. (Reuters)