West Bank attack threatens Middle East peace talks

by Anna Seward

Four Israelis have been killed near Hebron in the West Bank, in an attack for which the militant wing of Hamas has claimed responsibility.

The victims - including a pregnant woman - were travelling in a white Subaru station wagon when the vehicle came under attack.

Palestinian security forces have mounted an operation to catch the killers and have arrested dozens of members of Hamas.

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon described the attack as a "blatant attempt" to derail peace talks, which are due to begin tomorrow (Thursday) in Washington.

Israel's defence minister, Ehud Barak, said that security forces would do whatever it takes to catch the attackers and that Israel would "not allow any terror element to raise its head".

"This is an apparent attempt by base terrorists to harm the efforts to move the peace process and to harm the efforts of the talks that are due to begin in Washington," he added.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that the murders would not go unpunished.

Speaking from Washington, he said: "We will not let terror decide where Israelis live or the configuration of our final borders.

"These and other issues will be determined in the negotiations for peace that we're conducting, and in these negotiations I will set clearly the security needs that are required precisely to address this kind of terror."

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton described the murders as "horrific". She told reporters: "The forces of terror and destruction cannot be allowed to continue.

"It was one of the reasons why the prime minister is here today, to engage in direct negotiations with those Palestinians who themselves have rejected a path of violence in favour of a path of peace."