It's the Americans of course who really are responsible for this whole stinking political mess and for all the terrible bloodshed, with much more now on the horizon. They have armed and financed the Israelis for decades, giving the Israelis reasons to believe they could literally get away with murder and perpetuate their control through military occupation. And that they surely have; repeatedly. ad nauseum. The settlements, the tanks and F-16s, the apartheid arrangements disguised by the term "peace process"; these have all been nurtured by the Americans in reality, whatever the rhetoric at various times to sooth the seethings in the Arab and Muslim worlds. There is no trust now, only deep suspicion and enraged hatreds. More dark days of reckoning now lie ahead. And after that the days of rage and revenge will come.

During a news conference at NATO headquarters here, Bush said he was encouraged that Israel and the Palestinians, with prodding from CIA Director George Tenet, agreed to a cease-fire plan Tuesday. He said Tenet was ``cautiously optimistic'' that the agreement would end the violence that has wracked the region since September, claiming hundreds of lives.

``All the parties must now take additional steps that will place them on the road to a just and lasting peace,'' Bush said. ``All the parties must build trust by demonstrating good faith in words, but more importantly in deeds. ... This process is difficult but hopefully it's now begun.''

Bush spoke about the Middle East situation after meeting with allies to discuss expanding NATO and to present his case for a missile defense shield, an idea that has drawn deep skepticism in Europe.

Bush said he was pleased by ``a new receptivity'' among some allies to his anti-missile plan. He said he is confident he can win more support in Europe once allies see ``the logic behind the rationale'' for his proposal.

Addressing criticism that his missile plan may not be effective, Bush said, ``Of course we're not going to deploy a system that doesn't work.'' He acknowledged that ``there's some nervousness'' among allies about his plan, but said he was ``making good progress.''

``I think people are coming our way,'' Bush said. ``But people know I'm intent on doing what I think is the right thing in order to make the world more peaceful.''

Bush spoke to Tenet by telephone while flying aboard Air Force One from Madrid, Spain. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush told Tenet, ``The United States is looking for progress, and so is the world.''

Tenet resumed meetings Wednesday with senior Israeli and Palestinian security officials at an undisclosed location in Tel Aviv. There was a possibility the truce could take effect immediately, though disagreements remain on key issues.

Bush said he will not decide to visit the region, or send Secretary of State Colin Powell there, until he sees concrete actions ``so that peaceful-loving countries can say the cycle of violence has been finally broken.''

Powell, traveling with Bush, planned to meet with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres in Brussels Wednesday evening.

``The wonderful news is that we've signed a document. But the fundamental question is will parties take steps to peace,'' Bush said. ``It's important that these parties now take the document that has been signed and implement it.''

JERUSALEM, June 13 (AFP) - Two Israelis and three Palestinians were wounded as sporadic violence erupted in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, sources on both sides said Wednesday, despite an agreement on a US ceasefire plan.

Gunmen firing from a Palestinian village wounded a 17-year-old Israeli woman who was standing at a bus shelter near the West Bank settlement of Ofra northeast of Ramallah, the army said.

The woman sustained a neck wound and was evacuated to hospital in what authorities said was "medium to serious" condition.

The shooting followed the killing of a Greek Orthodox monk by Palestinian gunfire Tuesday night as he was driving in the West Bank near Jerusalem, an Israeli army spokesman said.

The monk's death brings to 608 the number of people who have died in the more than eight months since the Palestinian intifada, or uprising, broke out: 480 Palestinians, 109 Israelis, 13 Arab Israelis and six Europeans.

Security officials suggested the monk was targetted by Palestinans who believed he was a Jewish settler.

In other incidents, three Palestinians were wounded by shrapnel from Israeli tank shells fired on residential areas in the southern Gaza Strip near the Israeli-controlled border with Egypt, doctors and witnesses said.

Israeli forces appeared to have fired in response to an unidentified explosion heard in the area, they said.

Israeli radio said army soldiers had come under fire at the Rafah border, but added that they had not fired back and that there were no casualties.

Palestinian witnesses also said the Israeli army opened fire with machine guns on residential areas in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, causing damage to buildings but injuring no-one.

In another incident, an Israeli soldier was lightly wounded when an army checkpoint at the Jewish settlement of Shavei Shomron, northwest of Nablus in the northern West Bank, came under Palestinian fire, the radio said.

Army troops also came under fire near the Itamar settlement south of Nablus, it said.