Israeli Troops Kill 5 Over Weekend
Foreign Affairs News
Source: Haaretz Daily (Israel)
Published: 12/3/00 Author: Amos Harel and Baruch Kra
Posted on 12/03/2000 08:16:11 PST by Antiwar Republican
Five Palestinians die in weekend clashes with IDF
Shots fired from Beit Hanina at bus near French Hill neighborhood of Jerusalem
By Amos Harel and Baruch Kra
Ha'aretz Correspondents
Five Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in clashes with IDF forces
over the weekend. Six Israelis were wounded, including a baby who was hit by
rocks near Bethlehem. The overall level of violence was down, but in the West
Bank, there were exchanges of fire at the Ayosh junction, Psagot, Salfit near
Ariel, Hebron and Beit Haggai. In the Gaza Strip there were shooting
incidents near the Al-Boureij refugee camp, at the Netzarim junction and at
Neve Dekalim in Gush Katif.
One of the Palestinians killed was a 12-year-old boy whom Palestinian sources
say was shot on Friday by IDF soldiers in Rafah. The IDF spokesman denied the
report, saying that IDF soldiers did not shoot in the area on Friday at all.
A Palestinian shot and injured a few days ago died in Gaza, and in the West
Bank, a resident of the Qalandiyah refugee camp near Ramallah and a resident
of the village of Samoa, near Hebron, were killed.
Yesterday, IDF soldiers mistakenly shot a 27-year-old electrician from
Ramallah at the Ayosh junction, north of the city. He was working in a
building near the junction, holding a drill. Army sources said that army
sharpshooters mistakenly believed that he was holding a gun. The IDF
spokesman stated that Israeli soldiers and traffic are regularly shot at from
inside the building, which is protected with sandbags. "Today too [Saturday],
shots were fired at the junction from inside the building and the man was
standing in a spot that was regularly used by Palestinian shooters," said the
spokesman. "The IDF has no interest in harming anyone not involved in the
fighting and appeals to them not to approach."
Shots were fired from Beit Hanina at a bus near the French Hill neighborhood
in north Jerusalem. No one was injured. About an hour later, an AK-47
Kalashnikov rifle was found in Beit Hanina, and was identified as belonging
to the Palestinian Authority. Police say the shooter abandoned his gun,
escaping to an area under Palestinian control after seeing a policeman who
heard the shots.
Passengers on the bus, which was traveling to the settlement of Shiloh, said
that it was mere chance that the shooter happened to target a bullet-proofed
bus. The French Hill junction is part of the Jerusalem municipality and is
used by all vehicles traveling to Ma'aleh Adumim and the Dead Sea area.
Jerusalem Police Commander Yair Yitzhaki said that activity by Tanzim or
other terror organizations in other areas under Israeli rule involving
shooting at nearby Israeli neighborhoods should not be ruled out. Beit Hanina
is under full Israeli control.
Yitzhaki added that he believed the shooter was a resident of the Palestinian
Authority and did not live in Beit Hanina. "I know the people who live there,
and in my view they have no interest in taking part in terror acts," he said.
He added, however, that he feared that Palestinian terrorists might try to
shoot at other Jerusalem neighborhoods located near the Palestinian
Authority, such as Pisgat Ze'ev, Neveh Yaakov, French Hill, Ramot and others.
