Abu Mazen is sworn in by Arafat

GAZA CITY, April 30 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Israeli troops shot dead Wednesday, April 30, two Palestinians in separate accidents, while the new Palestinian cabinet of Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was sworn in by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, opening the way to swift presentation of the U.S.-backed roadmap peace plan.

Israel troops killed a Palestinian man earlier Wednesday near the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, Palestinian security officials told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The man's identity was not immediately known, officials said, adding that, after the Israeli army killed him, they asked Palestinian medics to come and pick up the body in an ambulance.

It came hours after a Palestinian fighter blew himself up in a Tel Aviv bar later on Tuesday, April 29, killing three people and wounding 55 others.

Meanwhile, a 55-year-old Palestinian shepherdess was shot dead by Israeli soldiers guarding a Jewish settlement on the southern edge of Gaza City on Wednesday, while grazing sheep on her land, Palestinian security officials said.

Sobheyeh Abu Atawehi was hit by three bullets as she was herding her flock near a road leading to the Netzarim settlement, where Israeli troops have frequently opened fire on Palestinians who live in nearby residential areas.

The deaths brought the toll of 31 months of fighting to 3,191 people, including 2,404 Palestinians and 729 Israelis.

Roadmap Today

Abbas was sworn in with his new ministerial line-up by Arafat in front of representatives of the international diplomatic quartet, whose members said the peace plan they had drawn up would be presented to the premier later Wednesday.

"The Quartet will present the roadmap at 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) (on Wednesday) to the new prime minister," said U.N. envoy Terje Roed-Larsen.

He was accompanied by E.U. envoy Miguel Moratinos and Russia's Andrei Vdovin, although the U.S. representative of the quartet was not present.

Abbas told parliament on Tuesday as he faced a confidence vote that he would crack down on the violence that was raging in the Palestinian territories and collect "illegal weapons."