Israeli soldiers searching for West Bank militants killed a Palestinian gunman today in an exchange of fire that also killed a bystander.
The gun battle outside a fire station in Jenin coincided with an open-ended Israeli sweep that began last night in another West Bank city, Hebron, a frequent flashpoint of violence in a 28-month-old Palestinian uprising for statehood.
While the army pursued militants, final results of Tuesday's Israeli parliamentary election gave Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's victorious right-wing Likud party 38 seats in the 120-member parliament, one better than in earlier tallies.
Short of a ruling majority, Mr Sharon faces an uphill battle to create the unity coalition he says is needed to confront what he calls terrorism and the prospect of a US war on Iraq that could draw Iraqi missile attacks on Israel.
At his ranch today he held talks with a prospective coalition partner, Mr Yosef "Tommy" Lapid, pugnacious leader of the centrist Shinui party that finished third in the vote with 15 seats.
Mr Lapid, who opposes state subsidies and military service exemptions for Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews, has said he would not join a cabinet that includes their political parties.
After the meeting, Mr Sharon's office issued a statement saying the two men had discussed the possibility of setting up "the broadest coalition possible" and that Likud and Shinui negotiating teams would begin work.