The United States welcomed the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian security talks today but remained quiet on a surge of violence that erupted on the first anniversary of the Palestinian intifada.
The violence turned the anniversary of the uprising into one of its bloodiest days as four Palestinians were killed and more than 70 wounded even as the security talks resulted in moves to ease a clampdown on the Palestinians.
US State Department spokesman Mr Richard Boucher declined to comment about the anniversary of the intifada but called for end to the violence and said the beginning of the new security co-operation was positive.
"It's essential that both the Palestinians and Israelis avoid actions that jeopardise this renewed dialogue ... and that both sides need to do everything possible to restore an atmosphere of calm," he told reporters.
US officials "attended and facilitated" the discussions in which the Israelis promised to a border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and allow the free movement of traffic in major Palestinian towns, Mr Boucher said.
In return, the Palestinians said they would clamp down on regular attacks on Israeli army positions at the crossing as well as mortar attacks on Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip.
The two sides also agreed to a lower-level security meeting on Sunday and for another meeting at a higher rank in the near future.
Today’s violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip came as thousands of Palestinians turned out for demonstrations to mark the intifada anniversary which quickly degenerated into stone throwing against Israel army positions.
Israeli troops responded with rifle fire, often with live bullets, killing three Palestinians, including a 10-year-old boy in the West Bank city of Hebron, where another young Palestinian man was also killed.
Clashes hit fever pitch in the city, where 14 other Palestinians and three Israelis, including a solider, were also hurt.
A third Palestinian was killed in an outlying district of Bethlehem to the north, where seven others were injured. The Israeli army said its troops opened fire after an explosive device was thrown at their post.
A fourth man died of wounds sustained in clashes in Ramallah last week.
AFP