AL QUDS, July 21: A bomb planted under an Israeli passenger train wounded its driver on Sunday in an attack that clouded prospects for easing Israeli restrictions on Palestinians under curfew in seven cities.

The blast occurred only hours after Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told Palestinian leaders that violence was delaying steps to relieve civilian suffering.

“I think it’s obvious that despite our efforts to conduct talks that will lead to an easing of restrictions...as far as the Palestinians are concerned, anything goes,” said Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Saturday’s high-level Israeli-Palestinian meeting was tinged by Palestinian anger at Israel’s tentative plan to deport from the West Bank to the fenced-in Gaza Strip relatives of militants who provide a “supportive environment” for suicide bombings.

Erekat described the talks as serious and said they dealt with political, financial and security issues. He told Reuters the Palestinian side had raised its objections to Israel’s deportation plans, a measure he said would be a war crime.—Reuters