Mideast

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States blamed both Israel and the Palestinians for an upsurge of violence that threatens to wreck a fragile U.S.-brokered cease-fire aimed at ending nine months of bloodletting. The 15-day-old cease-fire faced its most difficult test on Monday after a Palestinian and an Israeli were killed in separate incidents, two car bombs exploded near Tel Aviv and Israel killed three Islamic militants. Following the rise in violence, which had …

…daily briefing in Washington. Israeli radio and television reported that Israeli and Palestinian security officials met late on Monday to try to save the truce from collapse. An Israeli helicopter gunship fired a missile at a car in the West Bank late on Sunday, killing three Islamic militants Israel said were responsible for attacks against Israelis. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said the car bombings were in retaliation for the ``assassinations.''