Mideast truce remains shaky

JERUSALEM -- A Mideast truce remained shaky Sunday, with Israeli troops fatally shooting three Palestinians in the West Bank. The killings bring the Palestinian death toll to 18 since the two sides pledged last week to formalize a cease-fire.

No Israelis have been killed since the cease-fire promises were made Wednesday, but Israel said its troops have faced dozens of attacks in recent days as the Palestinians have marked the one-year anniversary of the current uprising with large street protests.

"Unfortunately, the Palestinian Authority has never stopped violence," said Israeli Cabinet minister Tzipi Livni.

Israel said the Palestinians had two days to enforce its part of the cease-fire, or the latest truce was likely to fail as had earlier ones during the past year of fighting.

The Palestinians, meanwhile, said the mounting death toll on the Palestinian side was the result of excessive force by Israeli troops. "We do not think that a cease-fire can be sustained under such circumstances, where Israeli soldiers are obviously given orders to shoot and kill at will," Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said.

Amid the ongoing friction, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres met with senior Palestinian officials Ahmed Qureia and Saeb Erekat on Sunday for talks on the cease-fire. Later, regional commanders met in several parts of the Palestinian territories to discuss security matters, the Israelis said.

Erekat said he told Peres that Israel is not implementing the truce plan, firing at Palestinians and tightening restrictions instead of easing them. He said Peres complained about Palestinian violence. Erekat responded that Israel "must help in calming down the situation. Continuing killing the Palestinians will not help restore calm."