Tulkarem

Two Palestinian civilians and an Israeli officer were killed on Thursday by a suicide bomber who blew himself up at an army checkpoint set up to avert a major attack during a Jewish festival. The bombing near the northern West Bank town of Tulkarem served to further undermine a shaky truce as the army pounded the northern Gaza Strip with artillery fire.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel on Thursday of wrecking the prospects of peace after soldiers killed five militants and officials unveiled plans to expand the largest West Bank settlement. The shootings were Israel’s first deadly operation since the historic pull-out of settlers from Gaza.