Israeli occupation troops killed two Hamas activists, including a leading militiaman, Monday as the men rode a tractor near the West Bank town of Jenin, Palestinian security officials said. The Israeli occupation army said it was checking the report. Palestinian officials said the bodies of the two men were riddled by bullets and accused Israel of killing them in a targeted attack.

One of those killed, Shaman Sobih, 28, was a senior militiaman in the northern West Bank and was on Israel's wanted list. Sobih's home in the village of Burkin near Jenin was blown up by Israeli occupation troops two months ago.

The second man was identified as Mustafa Fash, a Hamas activist.

Sobih and Fash were riding on a tractor from Burkin to Jenin when they were confronted by an Israeli patrol, the Palestinian security officials said. Members of the patrol and occupation soldiers in a nearby jeep opened fire, security officials said.

Lieberman: Ramallah in 'Desperate' Shape

Sen. Joseph Lieberman expressed support for Palestinian statehood during a visit to Ramallah on Monday and called conditions in the West Bank town "desperate.

Lieberman, the Democratic candidate for vice president in 2000, is considered a front-runner for the party's 2004 presidential nomination. He has said he will make a decision about whether to seek the nomination early next year.

On his first trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories since May 2000, Lieberman said he came with a message from Congress that it wants to take an active part in bringing peace to the region.

"There's strong support for the aspirations of the Palestinian people for independent statehood. The question is whether there will be sufficient leadership here and in the world to bring this about sooner than later," Lieberman told reporters after meeting Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo.

"It's important to bring about hope in Palestinians and among Israelis because without hope there will be no progress," Lieberman added.

Lieberman, a Connecticut Democrat, is scheduled to meet several other senior Palestinian officials Monday. He met Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem on Sunday.

Touring Ramallah - a town that was reoccupied by Israeli occupation troops in June following a wave of resistance bombings and other attacks on Israelis - Lieberman was surprised by the damage to the main Palestinian West Bank commercial hub.

"There are desperate humanitarian conditions here," he said.

Abed Rabbo said he had explained to Lieberman that the Cabinet decided Sunday to postpone presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for January because it is logistically impossible for people to vote while Israel occupies every major Palestinian West Bank town and city, except Jericho.

The postponement is seen as a blow to U.S. demands for reforms in the Palestinian Authority , but Israel says it cannot withdraw from Palestinian areas because of constant threats of attacks.

Abed Rabbo criticized what he called "U.S. administration support of Israeli crimes and atrocities against the Palestinian people."

PHOTO CAPTION

Unidentified relatives attend to wounded Palestinian Bassel Rabayah, at the hospital in the northern West Bank town of Jenin late Thursday Dec. 19, 2002. One person was killed and others were wounded near Jenin when, according to witnesses, an Israeli tank collided into a Palestinian minibus. (AP Photo/Muhammad Bala