Four Palestinians, Israeli officer killed in West Bank and Gaza Strip; Tanks raid Bethlehem

Published February 12th, 2003 - 03:00 GMT

Israeli forces shot dead four Palestinians, including an 8-year-old boy, while a Palestinian sniper killed an Israeli officer in three incidents throughout the West Bank and the Gaza Strip late Tuesday.

These incidents followed Israel's cancellation of plans to relax travel curbs on Palestinians for a four-day Eid al-Adha holdiay, ending Friday. "Israel's tightening of the siege on Palestinian cities exacerbates the human catastrophe in the Palestinian territories," Palestinian cabinet minister Saeb Erekat told Reuters.

Palestinian hospital officials in the West Bank city of Qalqilya said the 8-year-old died after being hit in the chest by gunfire from Israeli troops. They told AP that 10 other Palestinians were wounded.

Overnight Tuesday, three Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire close to the Gaza Strip settlement of Dugit.

In Bethlehem, a Palestinian sniper killed an Israeli officer near the Church of the Nativity, witnesses said. Hours later, Israeli tanks rumbled into the West Bank town for the first time in over six months.