The incident followed weekend violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in which at least four Palestinians and one Israeli were killed, underlining difficulties facing the United States as it tries to end almost two years of bloodshed.

Ghasal Israhat, a militant wanted by Israel, was killed by Israeli troops during a raid on the village of al-Yamoun near the West Bank city of Jenin, his family said.

Israhat's family said they were asleep in their beds when soldiers burst into the house overnight and detained Israhat. Shortly afterwards they said they heard gunshots and that the soldiers later told them they had killed the militant.

Israeli military officials said Israhat was shot dead after he climbed down a drain pipe and tried to run away.

They said an initial investigation showed soldiers called on Israhat to stop, fired warning shots into the air and near his legs and finally shot him dead after he failed to halt.

"The operation was intended to arrest him. They came to arrest him and he tried to escape," an Israeli military source said.

Israel announced the arrests of 13 Palestinians yesterday, including the suspected planner of a suicide attack.

In the West Bank, the army arrested overnight four Palestinians in the village of Rantis, 20 kilometers northwest of Ramallah, and another seven in Beit Furik, about six kilometers southeast of Nablus.

All detainees were taken for investigation, the army said.

At least 1,498 Palestinians and 587 Israelis have died since a Palestinian uprising against occupation began in September 2000 after negotiations for a peace treaty deadlocked.

Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian gunman in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, and a Palestinian infiltrated the Jewish settlement of Mehora in the West Bank late on Saturday, killing a woman. Israeli soldiers shot the attacker dead.

Troops shot dead two Palestinians in the West Bank on Friday and Saturday.

(China Daily August 13, 2002)