Middle East battle rages despite truce

JERUSALEM - Two Palestinians have been killed in fresh clashes with Israeli soldiers and gun battles have broken out near Bethlehem, underscoring the fragility of a truce deal to end five weeks of bloody unrest.

The Israeli army said yesterday it had fired tank shells at Palestinians who were spraying an Israeli army base near the West Bank town of Bethlehem with armour piercing bullets from a heavy machinegun.

An army spokeswoman said soldiers had earlier used rifles in the firefight, but it proved to be ineffective against the heavy weaponry used by the Palestinians and the army decided to step up its response. She said a soldier had been lightly wounded.

Before the gun battle flared there had been relatively light clashes yesterday compared to recent days and both sides said they were committed to making a truce agreement intended to end five weeks of bloody unrest stick.

The clash near Bethlehem was the largest of three firefights between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen which raged in the West Bank last night. The army said Palestinian gunmen opened fire on its troops more than eight times during the day.

As Israel went on high alert after a car bombing in Jerusalem killed two of its citizens, Palestinian hospital officials said a 21-year-old was shot dead by Israeli troops during stone-throwing protests in the West Bank town of Tulkarm.

The Israeli army said its forces had not opened fire in the disturbance and that the man had apparently been shot in the back, suggesting he may have been killed by Palestinian gunfire.

"If he was killed, it was not from our shooting," an army spokesman said.

A second Palestinian, 18, died of gunshot wounds sustained in a confrontation with Israeli troops in the West Bank village of Hizma, Palestinian hospital officials said.

At least 170 people, mostly Palestinians, have now been killed in five weeks of violence.

In Washington, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Palestinian President Yasser Arafat had accepted an invitation to visit Washington for talks with U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Israeli television said Prime Minister Ehud Barak would also travel to the United States next week to address a conference of Jewish leaders.

The White House said Clinton hoped to see Arafat and Barak towards the end of next week.

- REUTERS

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