A Palestinian suicide bomber has killed himself and an Israeli in an apparent suicide attack at a roadside cafe near a Jewish settlement in the West Bank. The Israeli ambulance service said that at least three people were also wounded in the blast, which happened in the Jordan Valley.
In Washington, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have been studying American compromise proposals for a Middle East peace deal. Both sides have indicated there has been some progress, with the Israelis saying that most of the framework put forward by President Clinton is acceptable as a working basis. The American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, said that the timing of the current meeting was crucial.
The Israeli security forces are on the alert for further violence following clashes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip yesterday in which two Palestinians and one Israeli died. Today is the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and Islamic factions have declared it what they call a day of rage.
Meanwhile, the former Israeli Prime Minister and Nobel peace prize winner, Shimon Peres, has failed in his attempt to run for Prime Minister in an election next February. Mr Peres was unable to win the backing of the left-wing Meretz party, which called on him and the current Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, to put their differences aside for the sake of peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Mr Barak and the right-wing opposition leader, Ariel Sharon, will now fight the contest for the Premiership.
Mr Sharon has widened his lead over Mr Barak in two voter-intention polls published today. Mr Barak set the ball rolling towards February 6 elections with his shock resignation eleven days ago, in a gamble that he could present the electorate with a peace deal with the Palestinians and end a three-month spiral of bloodletting. Mr Sharon's lead over Barak increased to 18% from 5% a week ago in a Gallup Poll published by the daily Maariv, while the gap widened to eleven points from seven in a Dahaf survey published by daily Yediot Aharonot.
