Two die in Mideast violence

Palestinian police officers collect fragments of Israeli rockets following Monday's attack

GAZA -- Israeli soldiers shot dead two Palestinians and launched a helicopter gunship attack on a building in Gaza, amid worsening violence in the region.

Monday's attacks come on the same the day the Mitchell Committee report into the causes of eight months of Israeli-Palestinian violence is due to be released.

The Israel Defence Forces said the two men were shot on the outskirts of the Bureij refugee camp, near the border fence with Israel, as soldiers fired at Palestinians planting explosives.

Palestinian security officials said that the men were killed in "an exchange of fire."

Hours earlier, Israeli helicopter gunships badly damaged a building in the Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City, although no casualties were reported.

Palestinians said the building was a workshop for making spare car parts, while the IDF said it was a mortar factory.

The IDF said that 160 mortar shells had been fired from Gaza at Israeli targets in recent months, and that mortars were being made in several Gaza factories.

ON THE NEWS Mike Hanna: Searching for solutions in the Mideast    VIDEO CNN's Ben Wedeman reports Arab anger toward Israel has spread from the streets into halls of government (May 20) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    AUDIO CNN's Mike Hanna: Implementation of Mitchell's report is difficult 843K/78 sec. AIFF or WAV sound EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana: We need an unconditional cessation of violence 550K/51 sec. AIFF or WAV sound CNN's Ben Wedeman: Arab countries try to increase U.S. involvement 493K/46 sec. AIFF or WAV sound    GALLERY Scenes of violence and grief    ALSO Palestinian security chief's house hit by tank shells Arab League ministers urge suspending political contact with Israel U.S. wants to see 'specific language' of Arab League document

About 100 Palestinians marched in the street, chanting "Revenge, revenge" and "God is great."

Altogether the eight months of Israeli-Palestinian clashes have claimed over 550 lives -- the majority Palestinian.

Report calls for end to violence

In a widely leaked report -- due for public release Monday -- the Mitchell Committee, led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities by both sides and recommends a freeze on the building of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

A preliminary report by the five-man international committee was presented to both Israelis and Palestinians earlier this month and written responses from both sides will be included in the final report.

European Union international policy chief Javier Solana, who was one of the authors, told CNN that he hoped the international community would with "one-voice" back what was a "roadmap to get out of this situation of violence."

Solana, who is on a four-day tour of the region, meeting the leaders of Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Israel, said the current situation was "unbearable."

United States Vice President Dick Cheney has expressed optimism that the report will provide a way to proceed with the peace process.

Some in the U.S., including House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, and Dennis Ross, a former Middle East envoy in the Clinton administration, have been urging the White House to become more involved in the region, but Cheney said the administration was already actively involved.

Aides said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had spoken by telephone to European Union and Swedish officials, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, and British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook over the weekend and may meet with either Sharon or Arafat as part of an upcoming visit he is making to Africa and Europe.

Rocket attack injures five

Monday's early-morning missile attack came less than a day after Israeli tank shells hit the house of a Palestinian security chief in the West Bank.

Five bodyguards of Col. Gibril Rajoub were moderately wounded in Sunday evening's tank attack, according to the Palestinian Media Center.

The IDF said the shelling was a reaction to an exchange of fire at Ayosh Junction north of Ramallah, a common flashpoint for both sides.

In a statement, the IDF said there was no intention to hurt Rajoub.

But this was disputed by the Palestinian Authority, with a statement condemning "this very well pre-planned and premeditated attempt against the lives of not only Col. Rajoub but in fact against other members of his family."