Palestinian officials said four Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli soldiers early this morning near the West Bank city of Nablus.
"Four Palestinians were killed and another four were injured in a gunfight with Israelis," a Palestinian security source said.
He said three of the bodies were found near the village of Beit Iba and that the Israeli army had a fourth body.
Governor of Palestinian-ruled Nablus Mr Mahmoud Aloul gave a slightly different account. He said one of the men was a gunman injured in gunfire and that when three other Palestinians came to pick up the injured gunman, they were shot at and killed.
The Israeli army had no immediate comment. Israel Radio, citing military sources, said a squad of Palestinians were ambushed by soldiers when they were believed to be laying a bomb.
Meanwhile two Israelis bin men were slightly hurt today by Palestinian gunfire in the northern West Bank, Israeli military sources said.
The new bout of bloodshed came after Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said they were willing to meet, possibly in Berlin, in a new effort mediated by German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to implement an unheeded ceasefire.
Those talks are unlikely to take place this week as both leaders are abroad. Mr Peres was visiting Poland today and Mr Arafat was due to join Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo before flying to Beijing to brief Chinese leaders tomorow.
"I shall meet with him (Arafat) rather soon but we did not yet fix a date", Peres told reporters in the Polish capital, where he was on an informal visit due to end tomorrow.
"Upon my return we shall fix a date".