Arab violence in the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem over the Yom Kippur holiday has made it clear that Palestinian unrest is on the upswing despite the progress being made in Washington toward a peace settlement.
In fact, analysts attributed the upsurge in nationalist violence to Palestinian efforts to divert the focus away from the progress being made with Syria to their own cause.
The unrest in Gaza erupted Wednesday, when Israeli troops opened fire and used tear gas against thousands of Palestinians throwing stones and firebombs at a demonstration in solidarity with a hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners.
Arab sources claimed 63 hurt, including 43 by live fire and the remainder by rubber pellets. Five were said to be in serious condition, including a girl who lost an eye. Scores suffered from inhalation of tear gas, they said.
However, an Israeli army spokesman reported only 12 wounded, one seriously, based on reports at local hospitals. Several others were sent home after treatment.
A soldier sustained slight injuries in a stone-throwing attack.
In other Yom Kippur incidents, vandals in Jerusalem smashed windshields in several cars owned by Jews and daubed nationalist slogans on 25 Jewish gravestones on the Mount of Olives. But they left untouched a nearby grave where the late Prime Minister Menachem Begin is buried.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
