Israeli soldiers have killed a Palestinian woman and her two children in a shooting incident near the West Bank city of Jenin. 

Israeli military sources say troops fired on suspicious figures in a grove near the village of Zabibida after an explosive device was detonated near their armored vehicle. 

The sources say the Israeli Army has apologized for the incident and expressed regret for the loss of civilian life. 

The shooting came as Israeli, Palestinian and Western officials worked through the night, trying to resolve the month-long siege at the one of Christianity's holiest sites, the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. 

Israeli security forces continue to surround the church, built on the site where Christian tradition says Jesus was born. 

Inside are more than 100 Palestinians, including gunmen. Israeli officials say some of the Palestinians are wanted for attacks on Israeli civilians, and took refuge to avoid capture when Israeli troops rolled into the West Bank town on April 2. 

Diplomatic sources say an end to the standoff could come as early as today, which is Easter Sunday for Orthodox Christians. 

European and U.S. diplomats joined negotiations on Saturday. A list of the Palestinians inside the church was handed over to Western officials. Israel has demanded such a list as one of the conditions for ending the standoff. 

On Saturday, Israeli snipers killed a Palestinian inside the church compound, saying the man was a wanted terrorist from Palestinians leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah group. 

More than 85 people have left the church over the past month, and several Palestinian fighters have been killed. 

Elsewhere in the West Bank Sunday, Israeli forces moved into the city of Tulkarm, and the refugee camp there, conducting house-to-house searches. Gunfire was heard in the area, but there were no reports of casualties. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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