An Israeli sniper wounded Saturday a Palestinian in Bethlehem’s besieged Church of the Nativity amid an apparent setback in attempts to resolve the 24-day-old standoffs peacefully.
Palestinians inside the church said by telephone that Israeli snipers shot one man walking in the church courtyard, wounding him in the abdomen. The Palestinians were trying to arrange his safe evacuation through the international Red Cross.
"The man was messing with some cables near the door of the church and he was armed so we fired on him. He will be taken by ambulance for medical treatment," an Israeli military source said.
Meanwhile, Bethlehem lawmaker Salah Taamari consulted Yasser Arafat at the besieged Palestinian president's Ramallah compound on talks with Israel aimed at ending the church crisis.
But a presidential adviser, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, said later that Arafat had given Taamari no instructions.
Gunfire has often erupted around the Bethlehem church since Palestinian fighters took refuge there on April 2. Israel says the men inside are holding hostage scores of civilians, including clergymen and nuns. Palestinians deny anyone is being held at the shrine against their will.
Israel has vowed to keep up its siege until the “wanted” activists surrender for trial or exile. Palestinians reject these terms.
Also on Saturday, some 200 demonstrators marched toward Arafat's compound, vowing to stage similar protests every day until the Ramallah siege is lifted. Israeli troops dispersed them with tear gas.
Israel demands the Palestinians hand over six wanted men inside. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell by telephone Friday that he was willing to release Arafat from confinement if he agreed to leave for Gaza or anywhere in the West Bank without the wanted men, an Israeli official sais, according to AP.
It appeared unlikely Arafat would agree since he has said he would not hand over the men — five of whom allegedly were involved in the assassination of an Israeli Cabinet minister and the sixth in arms smuggling.
In Jenin, the Islamic Hamas group's political leader in the city’s refugee camp resurfaced after weeks in hiding, vowing to pursue the resistance against Israel. "If the Israelis believe they have eradicated the infrastructure of resistance here, they are wrong. Despite all our losses, it will rise again from these ashes stronger than before," Jamal Abdul Salam al-Heija told Reuters.
The U.N. fact-finding mission, which had been due to arrive Saturday to start an investigation into a carnage in Jenin refugee camp, was delayed a day because of the Jewish Sabbath. The U.N. has rejected a request by Israel for retired U.S. general Bill Nash to be made a member of the team, Israel Radio reported Saturday. Nash will remain the team's military adviser. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
