A Palestinian gunman on Sunday opened fire at an Israeli car in the occupied West Bank, killing two Israelis, senior politicians and Israeli settler leaders said. The shooting cast a shadow over a high-level meeting between Palestinian and Israeli delegations in neighbouring Jordan meant to reduce surging violence ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The shooting came days after a deadly Israeli military raid in the nearby Palestinian city of Nablus, in which 11 Palestinians were killed in a gun battle. The military said it was searching for the attacker, who opened fire on a car on the West Bank's main highway and fled.

In an initial move, an Israeli cabinet minister approved a proposal that would impose the death penalty on Palestinian militants involved in deadly attacks.

“On a difficult day in which two Israelis were murdered in a Palestinian terror attack, there is nothing more symbolic than passing the death penalty law on terrorists," said Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's far-right national security minister.

West Bank settler leaders called on Israel to withdraw its delegation from the talks in Jordan and crack down on the Palestinians. Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules the Gaza Strip, said no summit would stop Palestinians from fighting Israel.

All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to discuss the meeting with the media.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)

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