JERUSALEM — A Palestinian gunman, his rifle wrapped in a prayer mat, walked to a West Bank checkpoint and killed two Israeli soldiers at close range Tuesday, just a day after both sides hinted at progress toward a truce and a quick Israel-Palestinian summit.
The shooting was the first deadly attack on Israelis since Oct. 24, when Palestinians killed three soldiers guarding a Gaza settlement.
In the Gaza Strip, troops raided a refugee camp, setting off a gun battle that wounded nine Palestinians, one critically, and one Israeli soldier.
Despite the renewed fighting, the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers will meet next week, Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Tuesday after meeting with Secretary of State Colin Powell in Brussels, Belgium.
Egyptian-led truce efforts also appeared to move forward, with Egyptian mediators and Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia planning to meet separately in Gaza on Wednesday with leaders of militant groups.
Egypt proposes that Israel halt all military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and that Palestinian militant groups stop attacks on Israelis.
In the past, Israel has rejected such proposals, saying it would only stop military strikes if Palestinian security forces crack down on armed groups. However, the Egyptian mediator, intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, said Monday he has received positive signals from Israeli officials.
In Tuesday's shooting, a Palestinian attacker walked toward a West Bank checkpoint and started shooting at soldiers from a distance of several yards.
Sgt. Maj. Shlomi Belski was seriously wounded while he was talking on a cell phone to his mother, who heard the shooting and his evacuation to a hospital, Israel Radio reported. Belski died en route. Another soldier was killed instantly.
Other soldiers fired at the assailant, who sped away in a getaway car, security officials said. There was no claim of responsibility.
Israeli Justice Minister Tommy Lapid said a truce would only work if the Palestinian security forces are serious about stopping such attacks.
"We want to give Abu Ala credit if he is honest about stopping attacks," Lapid told Israel Army Radio. "What happened this morning places doubt on this honesty."
Sufian Abu Zaideh, a Palestinian Authority official, said the Palestinians are working hard for a truce.
"We are striving for a situation in which there won't be attacks and there won't be occupation, there won't be Israeli pain and there won't be Palestinian pain," he told the station.
Since the Oct. 24 attack that killed three Israeli soldiers, 25 Palestinians — including eight minors — were killed by troops.
Israel had pulled soldiers out of Bethlehem and nearby Palestinian villages south of Jerusalem in July as part of a previous cease-fire agreement. It was not immediately clear if troops would now re-enter those areas.
In Gaza, 25 Israeli tanks drove into the Rafah refugee camp before dawn, firing as they advanced and drawing return fire from local gunmen, resident Ahmed Abu Gezer said. Troops demolished two houses, including one belonging to a man whose 14-year-old son was killed by army fire 10 days ago, residents said.
Soldiers also took over several houses, set up rooftop sniper positions and searched the area with dogs, residents said. Loud explosions were heard, and the army said five explosives were thrown at soldiers who returned fire.
An army statement said the raid was meant to find and destroy tunnels used to smuggle weapons. The statement did not say whether tunnels were found.
Hospital officials said nine people were wounded, including one critically.
Truce efforts intensified Monday with Suleiman's visit. Next week, leaders of the militant groups will attend truce talks in Cairo, Egypt. Suleiman told Palestinian leaders that Israeli officials were receptive to his proposals, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath said.
"He (Suleiman) did say that there is an opportunity that must be taken advantage of. There is a positive atmosphere and a new language," Shaath said. "He told us that he is optimistic."
However, an Israeli official denied a Tuesday report in the Yediot Ahronot daily newspaper that the military has already suspended targeted killings of Palestinian militants, a practice that has sparked revenge attacks in the past.
Qureia has said he wants to work out the terms of a truce before meeting with Sharon. The Israeli leader met with Qureia's predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, four times, but Palestinians complained that there were few concrete results.
The Palestinians also demand that Israel remove roadblocks and other restrictions that have crippled Palestinian life during the conflict. Israel says the barriers are necessary to keep attackers away.