An Israeli man was killed in a shooting attack Thursday near the village of Yabed, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. His body was found in a car adjacent to the village. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for this attack.
Also in the West Bank Israeli forces Thursday night killed two Islamic Jihad activists.
Meanwhile, the death toll of the Jerusalem suicide bombing rose to 17 on Thursday night after an Israeli woman died of wounds sustained in Wednesday's attack.
In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell urged Palestinian premier Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday to move faster to restrain "terrorist" groups. "We want him to use that limited capability as effectively as he can," Powell told The Associated Press.
Powell added: "We are going to keep moving to peace."
He also said that the U.S.-backed road map for getting there is intact despite a sustained outbreak of violence and that both leaders were still committed to moving forward.
"All of us can get together and apply pressure on Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and other organizations responsible for this kind of terror," he said.
As for Abbas Powell said: "I believe that he can do more. He has said he would do more." Powell said he had told the Palestinian leader in their telephone conversation earlier on Thursday, "I expect him to be taking more aggressive steps" despite having some political problems. (Albawaba.com)
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