August 24, 2002	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Saani 14, 1423

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GAZA CITY, Aug 23: Two armed Palestinians were killed in an attack on an Israeli army post in the Gaza Strip on Friday morning, only hours after militant groups reiterated their rejection of a new security initiative.

The Palestinian fighters opened fire on the post near the Kfar Darom Jewish settlement, lightly wounding an Israeli soldier, military sources said.

The soldiers returned fire, killing one of the Palestinians and finally shooting the second assailant after a brief pursuit.

The source said the second Palestinian had “refused to surrender”.

Only hours earlier, during a late-night meeting of 13 Palestinian factions, hardline groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad repeated their rejection of a security plan hammered out between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

At the meeting, Palestinian interior minister Abdel Razaq al-Yahya laid out his vision of the plan he has developed with Israeli Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer.

Hamas official Ismail Haniya said his group “affirms its rejection of the plan, which is aimed at putting an end to the intifada, perpetuating the occupation, ensuring the security of the Zionist entity and dividing Palestinian ranks”.

Islamic Jihad official Mohammed al-Hindi also reiterated his group’s rejection of the plan.—AFP