THE MIDDLE EAST: The Israeli army yesterday killed four Palestinians, at least three of them gunmen, as it blockaded Palestinian inhabitants in the West Bank and Gaza Strip during Israel's election day.
Three Palestinians were killed when an explosion levelled a house owned by an Islamic militant in Gaza. Palestinians said the house was hit by an Israeli helicopter missile. The Israeli army said the three were killed while making bombs.
Palestinian medics said three Palestinian gunmen were shot dead in the northern West Bank city of Jenin during an exchange of fire with Israeli troops and that a 17-year-old was killed while running to the aid of one of the gunmen.
The army said the teenager was also armed and took part in the firefight with troops during an operation to seize militants.
Israeli security officials said restrictions on Palestinian movement were because of intelligence information that militants were planning attacks to disrupt the election.
Palestinians condemned the measure as collective punishment.
Residents of the West Bank cities of Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Nablus, Bethlehem and the Israeli-ruled parts of Hebron as well as Jenin were also under strict military curfew.
Palestinians identified the three dead in Gaza City as two children of a Hamas militant, Mohammed Salameh, including a 15-year-old girl, and a bodyguard of a senior Hamas leader, and said they were killed in a helicopter missile strike.
Talks between Palestinian factions on a possible ceasefire broke up on in Cairo on Monday night without result.