Israel late today tried to wipe out a master bomb maker from the hardline Palestinian Hamas group in a missile attack that killed his militant son, Palestinian security sources said.
Israeli security forces also shot dead a Palestinian policeman in a separate incident in the Gaza Strip a short time later, Palestinian authorities said.
The deaths came less than 20 hours after four Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and as violent clashes erupted across the Palestinian territories.
The deaths take the toll from almost 11 months of conflict in the region to 732, including 564 Palestinians and 146 Israelis.
In the missile attack near Gaza City, Palestinian security officials said Israeli Apache helicopters fired at two cars carrying Mr Adnan al-Ghul, one of Hamas's senior bomb makers, and his son, Mr Bilal al-Ghul, 22
They said the helicopters fired four missiles, killing Mr Bilal al-Ghul, while his father escaped without injury.
Palestinian sources confirmed Mr Adnan al-Ghul was one of Hamas's most senior bomb makers while his son belonged to the Popular Resistance Committee, which coordinates the armed activities of diverse anti-Israeli resistance groups.
The Haaretz newspaper website said his dead son belonged to Mr Yasser Arafat's Fatah organisation.
Another Hamas member was seriously injured in the attack, which occurred near the El Breij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
Palestinian security sources said Mr Mohamed Deif, high up on Israel's most wanted list of Palestinian militants, was also in a car close to where the attack occurred but was not injured.
The Israeli army said in a statement the helicopters fired on the cars because their occupants were "engaged in mortar bombings."
Palestinian police chief for the Gaza Strip Mr Ghazi Jebli said one of his officers, Mr Mahmud Jaser (23) was shot dead in a separate incident in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip shortly after the helicopter missile attack.
He said Mr Jaser was inspecting a house that the Israeli army had occupied but recently left.
In other violent incidents in the Gaza Strip late today, Israeli missiles blasted two Palestinian checkpoints, severely damaging the buildings, Palestinian officials said.
Israeli troops also fired two anti-tank missiles at a Palestinian police station near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, destroying the building and injuring seven policemen.
Elsewhere, the Israeli army reported its forces were engaged in clashes with Palestinians at Psagot, near Ramallah in the West Bank.
Palestinian security sources said two Palestinians were injured at Al Khader, near Bethlehem, when Israeli tanks opened fire.
They said Israeli troops also opened fire on Molotov cocktail-throwing Palestinians in the flashpoint West Bank town of Hebron, with no injuries reported.
And two Israeli garbage men were lightly wounded by Palestinian gunfire in the northern West Bank as they were traveling in a garbage truck that serves the Jewish settlement of Mevo Dotam.
Meanwhile German Foreign Minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, ended his Middle East peace mission late today, leaving Israel for Berlin after securing a pledge by Israel and the Palestinians to hold a top-level meeting in the near future to tackle regional unrest.
Before leaving today, Fischer held talks with Defence Minister MR Binyamin Ben Eliezer, President Mr Moshe Katsav, Israeli parliamentary speaker Mr Avraham Burg, former justice minister Mr Yossi Beilin and former foreign minister Mr Shlomo Ben Ami.
AFP