Israel has launched air strikes against Palestinian targets in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in retaliation for attacks Monday by Palestinian militants that left four Israelis dead.

Palestinian officials say at least two police officers were wounded in Israeli air strikes in Ramallah (in the West Bank) and Rafah (in Gaza) early this (Tuesday) morning.

The air strikes came after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon held a high-level meeting in Jerusalem to discuss how to respond to the earlier Palestinian attacks.

In a separate incident, Palestinians say two Palestinians were killed and at least six others were wounded during a gunfight with Israeli commandos in the Balata refugee camp, near the West Bank town of Nablus. They say the fire fight erupted when Palestinian gunmen tried to prevent Israeli commandos from entering the refugee camp.

In Monday's violence, a Palestinians gunman killed a Jewish settler and two other Israelis traveling in a convoy in the Gaza Strip. Israeli troops killed the attacker, who Palestinians say was a member of the al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, an armed wing of Palestian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction. Later, Israeli troops shot and killed an armed Palestinian who tried to break into a Jewish settlement in Gaza.

And, in the West Bank, a Palestinian detonated a bomb, killing himself and an Israeli policeman who stopped his car.

Israeli officials are blaming Mr. Arafat for the violence.

Meanwhile, the European Union says it is sending its foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, to the Middle East this week for more talks aimed at bringing peace to the region.

(Reuters,Afp,Prev)

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