A Palestinian fighter and a woman have been killed in an Israeli military operation near Jenin in the northern West Bank, Palestinian security and medical sources said.

Abdel Razek Nasser, a local leader in the Popular Resistance Committees, died during an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers in Kabatiyeh.

The woman, a neighbour, was killed as she tried to help, the sources added.

An Israeli military spokesman told AFP news agency that a "unit operating in the sector ran into two armed men" who were killed or wounded in an exchange of fire. He did not mention the woman.

The military operation follows the announcement of a ceasefire between the Israelis and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Islamic Jihad had said it would not agree to a ceasefire unless Israeli military activity was also ended in the occupied West Bank and fired several rockets into Israel. The attacks from Gaza stopped on Sunday afternoon after pressure from Hamas and Fatah.

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, has said he hopes the truce can be extended to the West Bank.

Thousands of Palestinian security officers have taken up positions across northern Gaza in an attempt to prevent fighters from launching more raids on Israel.

Abdel Razek Mejaidie, the security adviser to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, said: "The instructions are clear. Anyone violating the national agreement will be considered to be breaking the law."

An official said 13,000 Palestinian security officials were on the ground in Gaza to prevent rocket attacks being launched.

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinian mourners carry the body of Fadi Emour during his funeral in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin, Thursday Nov. 23, 2006. (AP)