Israeli troops early Monday killed a Palestinian in an exchange of fire at the Peles military base in the Jordan Valley, after he and another fighter entered a firing range in the camp. The second Palestinian escaped, and Israeli soldiers searched for him in the area.
The Al Aqsa Martyrs brigade claimed responsibility for the attempted attack.
In a separate incident Monday morning, Border Police killed a Palestinian fighter after he opened fire at Border Police troops at a roadblock north of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Israeli media reports said.
An Israeli border police spokesman said a pistol-wielding Palestinian wounded a policeman manning a checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, and was shot dead by other servicemen at the scene. The dead man's identity was not immediately clear.
Arafat
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat arrived in the West Bank city of Nablus after visiting Bethlehem and Jenin on Monday in his first trip outside the West Bank town of Ramallah in five months.
Arafat was greeted by about 1,500 Jenin residents at a reception at the town hall before leaving for Nablus. "To Jerusalem we are headed. Jerusalem is the capital of our independent state of Palestine, never mind who agrees or does not," Arafat told a crowd in Nablus.
Arafat cancelled his planned visit to the Jenin refugee camp, probably due to security warnings. The BBC reported that the visit was cancelled due to security risks from militants waiting for his arrival.
Thousands of people waited to greet him in the Jenin refugee camp. He went instead to the town hall, where, standing on a desk in a packed room, he said: "People of Jenin, all the citizens of Jenin and the refugee camp, this is Jenin-grad" -- a reference to the World War Two battle of Stalingrad.
"Your battle has paved the way to the liberation of the occupied territories," he said.
Earlier, Arafat was greeted in Bethlehem by local Palestinian officials and a Palestinian pipe and drum band. He kissed local officials, Muslim clerics and Christian priests on the cheek in a receiving line at the helicopter landing pad.
Arafat said Sunday that Palestinians carrying out suicide attacks in Israel were being supported by international powers. Asked on CNN if he would do everything possible to stop the suicide bombers, Arafat said: "No doubt. This is my policy from the beginning."
Arafat said international powers he refused to name were supporting militants launching suicide attacks and the "main leaders" behind the attacks were outside Palestinian areas. Arafat refused to answer when asked if the foreign powers were Iraq or Iran - which the United States accuses of supporting terrorism.
Arafat added that after a leader of Hamas praised the latest suicide bombing near Tel Aviv which killed 15 people, Palestinian security forces arrested 24 Hamas leaders and members. He said he still did not know who was behind that attack.
The Palestinians leader told CNN he was proud that his signature appeared on authorizations to pay Tanzim and Al Aqsa Brigade activists. He also denied that these groups were involved in terror activities, and said the money was given for humanitarian purposes only.
Regarding the proposed reforms in the Palestinian Authority, Arafat said that the Palestinians are proud of their democracy. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
