GAZA, Aug. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killing of three Palestinians by a Jewish settler in the West Bank settlement of Shiloh on Wednesday.

    "This sorrowful incident aims at obstructing the process of the(Israeli) withdrawal from Gaza," Abbas decried in a written statement.

    He called on the Israeli government to carry out its responsibilities towards innocent civilians.

    Meanwhile, Abbas asked the Palestinians not to be dragged to any escalation and not to give any excuse or any justification that would obstruct the ongoing Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.Israel Radio quoted police as saying that Asher Weisgan, a 41-year-old driver from Shvut Rahel settlement in the West Bankgrabbed weapon from a security guard and shot dead three people and wounded two others Wednesday afternoon in the industrial zone of the Shiloh settlement.

    The incident was also condemned by chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat while the Islamic Hamas vowed to revenge.

    Erekat told reporters that the Israeli government should immediately disarm Jewish settlers in the West Bank, adding that "it should arrest and sue criminals and terrorists.""These criminals and terrorists killed three Palestinians in acold-blooded manner. The Israeli government should confiscate the settlers' guns immediately in order to avoid repeat of such awful crimes," said Erekat.

    Hamas spokesman Musheer al-Masri said that "this crime would never pass without punishment."

    "The Zionist enemy is fully responsible for this massacre, andit is putting the lives of its soldiers and settlers in danger,"al-Masri said. Enditem