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Tony Blair condemns Hebron attack aimed to derail peace talks

Quartet Representative Tony Blair said the shooting death of four Israelis in the West Bank should not be allowed to derail the resumption of Mideast peace talks.

"I condemn unequivocally the shooting attack in which four Israelis were killed today and extend my condolences to the families of those killed," Mr Blair said Tuesday. "This shocking act was obviously intended to damage the launch of negotiations, but we must not allow extremists to derail the process."

The Israelis, including a pregnant woman, were killed Tuesday near Hebron in the West Bank in a shooting for which the militant wing of Hamas claimed responsibility, officials said.

The incident occurred near Bani Naim junction, the largely Palestinian territory where Jews have settled in places like Hebron, Israel military spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibowitz said.

The attack comes ahead of direct talks scheduled to begin Thursday in Washington between Israeli and Palestinian leaders -- the first such talks since 2008.

Izzedin Al-Qassam Brigades -- the military wing of Hamas -- claimed "complete" responsibility for the attack, according to a statement on its website.

In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the attack after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"This kind of savage brutality has no place in any country under any circumstances," she told reporters. "The forces of terror and destruction cannot be allowed to continue. It was one of the reasons why the prime minister is here today, to engage in direct negotiations with those Palestinians who themselves have rejected a path of violence in favor of a path of peace. We have to not only stand against the kind of horrific murders we saw today."