Israeli occupation troops killed a Palestinian teenager and injured 22 other stone-throwers during a raid on Jenin, and also shot dead a man in the Gaza Strip a day after the occupation army resumed its policy of "targeted killings." Another two Palestinians were killed in the territories in crossfires between Israeli troops and resistance activists. Israeli tanks and occupation soldiers moved into the heart of the reoccupied West Bank city of Jenin after dawn and clashed with students on their way to school, Palestinian medical sources said.

The troops directed heavy machinegun fire at the teenagers who were throwing stones at them in a ritual of the 26-month-old uprising, killing Moataz Uda, 16, they said. Two of the wounded boys were seriously hurt.

In the nearby town of Tulkarem, a civilian was killed and seven other Palestinians, including three children, were wounded when occupation Israeli special forces clashed with resistance activists.

In the northern Gaza Strip, an Palestinian Jihad resistance man who entered an area near the internationally illegal Jewish settlement of Netzarim was shot dead by Israeli occupation troops, security sources on both sides said.

Later Monday, the Israeli occupation army fired tank shells in response to a home-made Qassam rocket, known to be manufactured by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, fired near the Erez crossing point between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel.

A Palestinian worker was killed and nine others wounded in the incident, medical sources said. The wounded were hit by the rocket, while it remained unclear what killed the 36-year-old worker who died.

The renewed violence comes a day after the occupation army resumed its policy of trying to assassinate wanted Palestinian resistance activists.

Two helicopter-fired missiles destroyed a car in the Gaza City refugee camp and Islamist stronghold of Jabalya carrying two members of the Al-Quds Brigades, including northern Gaza Strip leader Hmeid Shadi Mehanna.

"The Zionist terrorists are continuing their policy of assassinations, but Allah (God) protected our brothers who ran away seconds before the missiles hit the car," Islamic Jihad said in a statement posted on its website.

Witnesses confirmed the passengers managed to escape and medical sources said the strike only lightly injured three bystanders.

Human rights groups on both sides have condemned the policy launched by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon more than a year ago, particularly because of the frequent civilian casualties.

Israeli Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon was quoted by the Israeli daily Haaretz as saying a week ago in the United States that the end to the assassinations was the only condition Hamas had demanded for a ceasefire during recent talks.

Yaalon said that during secret negotiations with Palestine Liberation Organisation's number-two Mahmud Abbas and the former head of preventive security head in the Gaza Strip Mohammad Dahlan, Hamas had made far-reaching concessions.

A senior military official had said only two weeks ago that the Israeli occupation army would refrain from resorting to the controversial policy of extra-judicial killings as much as possible.

Sunday's attempt on Mehanna's life was the first clear-cut case of an assassination attempt since top Hamas leader Mohammad Deif narrowly escaped a rocket attack on his car just a few blocks away on September 26.

Two resistance men also died in mysterious circumstances last week near Jenin, but the occupation army denied any involvement in what the Palestinians described as an assassination.

The killing in July of Hamas military leader Salah Shehade is still being avenged by Islamic groups and Sunday's attack triggered further pledges of bloody revenge.

"Talks with the Israeli occupier cannot be fruitful. The Zionists understand only the language of jihad (holy war) and our only response will be to escalate resistance," Islamic Jihad said in the website statement.

Over the past month, talks sponsored by Egypt and the European Union have been held in Cairo between Hamas and Arafat's Fatah movement to harmonize the positions of Palestinian groups.

Islamic Jihad did not take part in the discussions.

Meanwhile in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, which was fully reoccupied three weeks ago following a deadly Palestinian ambush on occupation soldiers and internationally illegal Jewish settlers, Israel ordered the demolition of 15 Palestinian houses bordering the so-called "worshippers trail".

One such house was used by the Palestinian snipers who opened fire on the Israeli patrol.

The one mile (1.6 kilometre) long road stretches from the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a site holy to both Jews and Muslims, and is frequently used by settlers.

PHOTO CAPTION

A Palestinian, seriously wounded during clashes in the West Bank town of Jenin, is carried to a car for evacuation to hospital Monday, Dec. 2, 2002. Israeli occupation troops shot and killed a Palestinian teenager and injured 23 others in Jenin Monday, Dec 2, 2002,. (AP Photo/Mohamed Balas)