Israeli and Palestinian officials meet

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Top Israeli and Palestinian security officials met overnight at an undisclosed location, a statement from the Israeli Defense Ministry says.

Avi Dichter, head of Shin Bet, the Israeli internal security service, and Major-General Giora Eiland, chief of Israeli military operations, discussed security matters with Jibril al-Rajoub, head of preventive security on the West Bank, and Mohammed Dahlan, who holds a similar post in Gaza.

A Palestinian who set off an explosive device at a supermarket in the West Bank town of Efrat on Friday was shot and killed by a security guard, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said.

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An Israeli woman was lightly injured in the blast.

According to the defense ministry, the aim of Thursday night's meeting was "how to reduce the level of violence and to achieve a calm." The current spate of violence has taken 48 lives since Monday.

The defense ministry statement also suggested Israel was ready to step away from the tit-for-tat exchanges with the Palestinians.

"After Palestinian efforts to reduce violence, there will be a response from the Israeli side to alleviate conditions," the statement said.

According to the defense ministry, both sides have agreed that the high-level security meetings should continue.

Israeli forces pulled out of Gaza early on Friday. The troops went in Tuesday after six Israeli soldiers were killed in a roadblock ambush.