Four Israelis were killed Tuesday after Palestinian gunmen opened fire on their vehicle while it was traveling in the West Bank. An Israeli Army spokesman said that among the passengers was a pregnant woman.

The attack came only two days before Israel and the Palestinians are set to launch face to face peace negotiations in Washington. Analysts in Jerusalem believe that this attack is meant to sabotage President Obama’s Middle East summit before it even starts. Some here say after this brazen attack, it could be a challenge to the President to stay on track and get the negotiation to move ahead.

In a phone call to Fox News office in Gaza, Hamas military wing claimed responsibly for the attack. A Hamas spokesman in Gaza told the Israeli media that this attack was not meant to foil the negotiations since they had already failed even before they started.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to condemn the attack after landing in Washington.”This horrible murder is a proof that Israel should insist on its security demands” he said.” Acts of terror will not influence Israel’s position on borders and the faith of the settlements’.

In a statement faxed to Fox News Jerusalem Bureau, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the attack does not help the peace efforts or the interests of the Palestinian people. ” The Palestinian Authority will take action to prevent a repeat of such militant attack” Fayyad said.

Immediately after the shootings, Israeli forces set up road blocks in the Hebron area, and the Southern West Bank in an effort to arrest the attackers. No Palestinian security forces were used in joint operations a clear rift after this incident. In the past few months both sides have enjoyed joint Palestinian and Israeli security coordination in the area.