Recent Clashes Between Israelis and Palestinians - 2002-03-24

Israel says its forces have killed at least 3 members of a group that entered Israeli territory from Jordan after an armed confrontation with the Jordanian border guard. A spokesman for the Jordanian army confirmed that his forces were targeted by gunfire from unknown armed individuals, but there were no casualties reported. This incident occurred in the southern Golan Heights near the Sea of Galilee, an area that has been relatively calm since Jordan and Israel signed a peace agreement in 1994. Meanwhile, Anthony Zinni, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, will hold further negotiations with Israeli and Palestinian security officials today as part of his efforts to establish a ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israel. No progress was reported following Mr. Zinni's previous round of talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials on Friday. The continuation of violence and bloodshed has overshadowed the latest U.S. efforts to end the 18-month-long violence. Early this morning, an Israeli woman was shot and killed while driving near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. Since Wednesday, three Palestinians have killed 10 Israelis in suicide attacks. On Saturday, 6 Palestinians were also killed during clashes with Israeli forces. In Washington, Dick Cheney, the U.S. Vice President, stated that it seems unlikely he will meet with Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, before this week's Arab League summit in Beirut. Mr. Cheney did not rule out the possibility of meeting with the Palestinian leader, provided that Mr. Arafat takes decisive action to stop violence against Israel. President Bush, who is currently traveling in Latin America, stated on Saturday that Mr. Arafat is not doing enough to combat terrorism.