JERICHO, West Bank, 25 October — US Middle East envoy William Burns yesterday told the Palestinians they will only achieve statehood through ending violence and overhauling their administration as Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian child in the West Bank. Ahmed Jafar, 13, died after being hit in the chest by Israeli troops who entered the northern town of Jenin in 20 armored vehicles. Burns, on a Middle East tour to push an international peace roadmap, said Washington "wants to end the very real suffering and humiliation that the Palestinians experience every day." But he stressed progress would only come if the Palestinian Authority turned tough on hard-line groups and carried out thorough reforms of its administration. Burns was speaking to Palestinian leaders. Yasser Arafat was glaringly absent from the meeting, as part of US and Israeli efforts to sideline him. Arafat is due to unveil a new Cabinet next week, after Parliament rejected his previous reshuffle, carried out under intense domestic and international pressure. Burns also held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer.
