Israel kills woman in W Bank raid

Grieving relatives of Eitas Zalat in the Tulkarm, the West Bank

Israeli soldiers have killed a Palestinian woman during a raid in the West Bank town of Tulkarm.

Eitas Zalat, 44, died and her two daughters were slightly wounded as Israeli troops opened fire during the arrest of an alleged militant.

An Israeli army spokesman said that "shooting broke out when a top official of Islamic Jihad" resisted arrest.

The spokesman said the army was very sorry "when innocent people are hurt", and promised a full investigation.

Several people were arrested during the Israeli military operation in the West Bank.

Israeli forces regularly conduct raids into the West Bank. The operations often result in the arrest or killing of alleged Palestinian militants, and the rounding up of Palestinian men.

The Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem, estimates that 78 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank and Gaza so far in 2006.

Approximately 27 of these, B'Tselem says, were civilians. The remainder were Palestinians involved in hostilities at the time they were killed or Palestinians wanted by Israel in connection with alleged militant activity.

These figures are approximate. The precise circumstances of such incidents are often disputed.

'No second term'

In a separate development, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he does not intend to seek a second term in office.

Several people were arrested during the Israeli military operation

Speaking in a television interview with Saudi Arabian al-Arabiya channel, Mr Abbas said he simply wanted to succeed in completing his current mandate which expires in 2009.

Mr Abbas said it would then be time for a new generation of political leaders.

He became president of the Palestinian Authority in 2005 after the death of the veteran leader Yasser Arafat.

Mr Abbas also took over the leadership of Fatah, the party that dominated Palestinian political life for decades until being ousted by the Islamist movement Hamas in the election in January.