A Palestinian woman was killed and four other people wounded when a taxi exploded in the West Bank this evening. The explosion happened on the road linking Tulkarem with the city of Nablus, according to hospital sources.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians have accused Israel of assassinating a senior security official in a car blast in Gaza. A senior Israeli political source has denied any Israeli involvement in the death of Taiseer Khatab, director of the office of Palestinian Intelligence Chief Amin al-Hindi.
The source said that the death was "probably the result of a working accident, somebody planning a terror act or the result of a struggle between Palestinian organisations". The incident has cast a shadow over efforts to arrange talks aimed at ending more than eleven months of bloodshed.
Mr Khatab was killed and two people were wounded in the blast that threw body parts into the street. Blood stained the car seats and road.
At least 548 Palestinians and 157 Israelis have been killed since violence flared last September after peace talks froze.
The explosion came as Israeli sources said talks were under way between Israeli and Palestinian officials to prepare for a possible meeting between Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres as early as next week.
Tension rose yesterday when Mr Arafat blasted Israel as a racist state at the UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban, drawing strong Israeli condemnation.
