5 Israelis Shot In West Bank

Five Israelis were injured Saturday when assailants fired on a bus traveling through the West Bank. The attack, which police blamed on Palestinians, comes two days before a major peace summit.

Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. leaders meet in Oslo on Monday to open final status talks on the most thorny issues of the peace process.

Israeli opponents to Prime Minister Ehud Barak's efforts to revive the process will likely seize on the incident as proof of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's inability or unwillingness to control militant Palestinians.

The bus was traveling from the settlement of Kiryat Arba when assailants opened fire near the Palestinian village of Tarkumiya, police spokesman Rafi Yaffe said. Five Israelis were slightly to moderately wounded. He said police were operating on the assumption the assailants were Palestinian militants.

The area of the shooting is controlled by Israel, Israel radio reported.

The attack occurred near a "safe passage'' for Palestinian travel between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which opened last week.

Israeli hard-liners had warned that the route traveled by thousands of Palestinians would be used by terrorists to carry out attacks against Israelis.

Israeli troops began an extensive search for the assailants, but did not immediately arrest any suspects.

The Israelis on the bus, residents of the southern Israeli town of Kiryat Gat, had attended an event to show solidarity with the settlers.

Barak and Arafat are slated to officially open the final talks in Oslo. President Clinton was to direct the ceremonies.