Israel today threatened more attacks on Palestinians it regards as "ticking bombs" after killing a senior Hamas militant in the West Bank ahead of an international meeting to try to rescue a battered peace plan.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell, issuing an apparent rebuke to Israel, said the killing of Abdullah Kawasme in the West Bank city of Hebron yesterday was a cause for concern that could impede progress on the "road map" to peace.
Hamas, an Islamic group bent on Israel's destruction, vowed "thundering retaliation" for Mr Kawasme's death. It said it could not accept Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's call for a truce with Israel while its men were being killed.
Witnesses said soldiers shot Mr Kawasme, 43, as he got out of his car. Palestinians called the killing an assassination.
Israeli security sources said Mr Kawasme, one of Israel's most wanted militants, was armed with an assault rifle and troops had attempted to detain him.
At the weekly meeting of his cabinet, Mr Sharon said Israel had demanded the Palestinians "act in the most serious manner against terrorist organisations". If they do not, he said, "we will continue our activities to provide security" for Israelis.
Israeli cabinet minister Ms Tzipi Livni said those activities would include striking against militants planning attacks. "Unless the Palestinian Authority takes real responsibility, Israel will have to keep dealing with ticking bombs," she said.
While the violence rages, Israel and the Palestinians have been discussing a deal under which Israeli soldiers would pull back in the Gaza Strip and West Bank city of Bethlehem and hand over control to Palestinian Authority security forces. On the sidelines of the Quartet meeting, a diplomatic source close to the security talks said Israel was considering easing its demand for full control of a key road in the Gaza Strip in favour of joint patrols with the Palestinians.
The north-south road is the key sticking point in the security negotiations.
Mr Powell has said such a withdrawal would be an important step towards moving forward on the road map.