as Palestinians began observing the third anniversary of their uprising hours after a Jewish baby was among those killed by a Palestinian gunman.
Israeli army officials said troops arrested four alleged militants in overnight raids in the West Bank following Friday’s infiltration by a Palestinian gunman of a Jewish settlement, where he killed a seven- month-old girl and a man of 30 who opened the door to him.
The gunman, who was shot dead later, reportedly also wounded the baby’s mother and father in the assault inside the enclave of Negohot near Hebron on Friday night as Israelis sat down to festive family dinners marking Rosh Hashanah.
On Saturday, September 27, another Palestinian militant was killed when a bomb he was making blew up prematurely, reports said.
DIFFICULTIES AHEAD
The violence underscored difficulties ahead for the new Palestinian cabinet of prime minister-designate Ahmed Korei, which was approved by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s Fatah party Saturday, September 27.
A list of 23 ministers will now come before the entire Palestinian parliament for approval, possibly this week, the Voice of America (VOA) network reported. Missing from the list is ousted Palestinian security chief Mohammed Dahlan, who has been reportedly replaced by long-time Arafat ally Nasser Youssef.
The United States and Israel want the Palestinian security chief to disarm and dismantle militant groups, as called for in the so-called "road map" peace plan.
MASKED MILITANTS
There were no signs of disarmament Saturday, September 27, as, hundreds of masked militants were seen firing assault rifles in the air, while marching the Gaza city of Khan Younis to mark the uprising anniversary, the Reuters news agency said.
Vowing to keep fighting Israel, some were seen holding pictures of Arafat.
Other demonstrators burned effigies of Fatah leaders involved in creating a new reform-oriented government led by a prime minister as called for by the U.S.-led "Quartet" of mediators, Reuters reporters said.
RISING DEATHTOLL
The international community has said reforms are urgently needed to stop the rising deathtoll. Three years of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has killed 2,477 people on the Palestinian side and 860 on the Israeli side.
In addition, about 60 Palestinians suspected of informing for Israel have been killed by Palestinian militants, The Associated Press (AP) said Saturday, September 27. The figure for the Palestinian side includes at least 101 suicide bombers, AP reported, citing official sources.
Among the other dead are 13 Israeli Arabs involved in pro-Palestinian riots, a British U.N. staffer, an American peace activist, an Italian journalist, a British journalist and a German resident of the West Bank.
Deaths on the Israeli side include four non-Jews in the Israeli army, at least 14 foreigners working in Israel, a Swiss international observer, a Turkish observer and a Greek monk.
Those listed in the Israeli total include 41 Americans, many of whom had dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, AP said. One Palestinian-American is counted on the Palestinian side.
