Palestinian terror attacks mar Mideast mission

An attack by a Palestinian gunman in Kfar Saba, north of Tel Aviv, threatened to disrupt U.S. mediation efforts Sunday.

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- In the wake of fresh violence in the Middle East, Israeli and Palestinian field commanders met late Sunday as part of a U.S. effort to broker a cease-fire in the region.

One meeting took place in Gaza and another in the West Bank, according to a source in the Israeli Defense Ministry.

The meetings came three days after U.S. Middle East envoy Gen. Anthony Zinni arrived in the region and a day before Vice President Dick Cheney was scheduled to arrive. Both men are working toward a resumption of peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.

Following a meeting earlier Sunday between Zinni and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said a trilateral meeting was possible with Zinni and the Israelis -- as suggested by Israel Saturday -- but he wasn't specific.

"There are deliberations and preparations going on. I really cannot specify much of the details of what took place in the meeting and other meetings. All I can say is that President Arafat made a commitment to General Zinni that we will do everything in our power to help him succeed in his endeavor," Erakat said on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer."

VIDEO CNN's Sheila MacVicar reports acts of violence continue even as Israeli and Palestinian security forces meet to talk about a cease-fire. Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES • TIME.com: Why Bush had to act  • Mitchell: Zinni is first step toward peace   • Saudi leader accepts invitation to Bush ranch    EXTRA INFORMATION In-Depth: Mideast Struggle for Peace    RESOURCES The Tenet plan at a glance

Erakat, however, repeated the Palestinians' stipulation that before a meeting can take place Israelis must withdraw from Palestinian-controlled areas in the West Bank and Gaza they occupied earlier this week in the largest military operation since the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to root out what they described as Palestinian "terrorist infrastructure."

"All I can say is that this is a necessary step," Erakat said.

Bloodshed continues amid diplomatic efforts

In one incident Sunday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire in Kfar Saba, a town north of Tel Aviv, Israeli police said. An Israeli teenage girl was killed and nine people were wounded, hospital sources said.

Police shot and killed the gunman shortly after the terror attack.

In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian bomber blew himself up next to a bus at a busy intersection, Israeli police said.

No one was injured, but ambulance services said some people, apparently suffering from shock, were taken to hospitals from the scene of the blast in the French Hill neighborhood, which Israel annexed in 1967 after the Six Day War.

Islamic Jihad -- a militant group dedicated to the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel -- claimed responsibility for the terror attack in East Jerusalem.

In the Palestinian-controlled city of Bethlehem, where an Israeli tank and soldiers were positioned, a Palestinian militant was killed in an exchange of gunfire with Israeli soldiers, Palestinian security forces said.

"Events of today illustrate how much we need the help of General Zinni," Erakat said in his CNN interview.

Erakat said some Israeli soldiers remain in parts of the West Bank that are supposed to be under full Palestinian control under the 1993 Oslo peace accords. Erakat said Israeli forces Sunday were still in Beit Jala, Hebron, Bethlehem, Tulkarem and other locations.

Dore Gold, special adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, told CNN that Israeli forces would not withdraw from places such as Beit Jala unless Palestinians can assure that Israeli citizens are safe from sniper attacks.

Gold said snipers from the Palestinian Tanzim militia, an armed faction linked to Arafat's Fatah movement, regularly take up positions in Beit Jala and shoot across a ravine into an area of southern Jerusalem, targeting civilian apartments.

"We're willing to pull out from those areas. We want to give this Zinni mission a chance. But we will not pull out unless we have assurances from the Palestinians that they will prevent the return of those Tanzim snipers," Gold said. "It's all about the Palestinians taking responsibility."

Ra'anan Gissin, a senior aide to Sharon, said Saturday the Israeli prime minister would seek implementation of Tenet's security plan, the first step toward adopting the peace plan developed by a commission chaired by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell.

Tenet's plan calls for negotiating a cease-fire and urges Israeli and Palestinian security organizations to reaffirm commitments to agreements contained in the Mitchell report.

The Mitchell report calls for a resumption of security cooperation, a halt to the construction of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories, a denunciation of terrorism and resumption of peace talks.

Zinni, who arrived Thursday in the area, has held a flurry of talks with Palestinian and Israeli officials, including Sharon and Arafat. Saturday, the envoy described the meetings as "extremely positive," adding he believed both sides wanted peace.

-- CNN Senior International Correspondent Sheila MacVicar contributed to this report.