But Mr Bush is supposed to have told Ms Rice that he liked General Mofaz’s Palestinian counterpart, Mohammed Dahlan, and that he believed Abu Mazen was incapable of lying.Yesterday, Abu Mazen was the lone voice in calling for peace. The paper said that President Bush had told Condoleezza Rice, his National Security Adviser, that the Israeli Prime Minister was a “problem” and that he had rebuked Mr Sharon and Shaul Mofaz, the Israeli Defence Minister, in a meeting with both sides. And his rebuke to Israel after the attempted assassination of Mr Rantisi was unusually sharp.These events happened against the backdrop of a Haaretz newspaper report that quoted an “insider” at the closed-door meetings in Aqaba last week. Yet in international terms, Abu Mazen and his new Palestinian cabinet are the only ones to come out of this latest round of violence looking good Mr Bush’s anger at Hamas was plain to see yesterday. “Stopping this deterioration necessitates that all parties should comply to a ceasefire and end violence and to start serious efforts to implement the road-map,” said a statement issued by his office. But Israel is insisting that he cracks down hard and dismantles the militant groups by force if necessary.As Hamas and the Israeli army traded violence, Abu Mazen was left to call in vain for both sides to stop the violence immediately and return to the road-map.

The road-map, which provides for an agreement implemented in phases, leading to the creation of a Palestinian state by 2005, requires Abu Mazen to put pressure on Hamas and other militant groups to end their violence His task seems more difficult than ever. “Are we cheap, to be killed like this? If that makes him a good leader I think his place is not among us.”Twenty-two Palestinians and 21 Israelis have been killed since the Aqaba summit on 4 June. “Where is Abu Mazen to come and see?” shouted Jamil Hamdia as he carried his wounded 11-year-old cousin through the hospital. They were believed to be innocent bystanders.Angry Palestinians vilified their Prime Minister in Gaza yesterday. Palestinian sources said that the latter was a former bodyguard for Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the organisation’s spiritual leader But five other people were killed by the rockets. They were believed to be Tito Massoud, a senior Hamas leader, and Soffil Abu Nahez, also a member of Hamas. Massoud Ramadan, 65, who saw the attack, said: “When we started trying to evacuate them from the car, another missile attack took place while a huge number of people were gathering trying to help the wounded.”If his account is true, the Israeli military deliberately aimed at civilians.Two bodies were taken from the car One had been decapitated.

The car was sitting in a traffic jam when the missiles hit.Witnesses said that the helicopter fired a second time, into a crowd of civilians. There was a headless body near the door.”Minutes later the Israeli helicopter retaliated by firing missiles at a car carrying a senior figure from Hamas’ armed wing in Gaza. Shirli Rafael, another witness, said: “I was around the corner when I heard the explosion I ran to the scene and simply froze My legs couldn’t move I saw dead people Severed hands and fingers lay at my feet I saw a lot of women covered with blood Their skin was scorched. “I took her aside and gave her first aid until a medic came.” His shirt was stained with blood.

The bomb, as usual, was packed with nails, which caused terrible injuries.”I saw a girl, about 15 or 16, who was blown from the bus,” said Chen Knafo, a security guard who was near by at the time. Moments later there was an explosion so powerful that some of those on board were thrown through the windows of the bus. This time the bomber, disguised as an ultra-Orthodox Jew, got on bus number 14 near the Mahane Yehuda fruit market. Jaffa Street has seen more of these attacks than any other street in Israel – it is a sort of suicide bomber’s alley. She says: “I thought I remembered some one mentioning a pension fund that had been set up for me when I worked for the Royal Bank of Canada as a treasury clerk. But, for those willing to undertake a personal treasure hunt, there can be massive rewards.
Tracey McKenna, 36, of Essex, was recently reunited with a pension worth £15,000. The idea does not seem to have crossed the managements’ minds of giving customers a good deal whether they ask for it or not.