Six Arabs Killed in Weekend Flare-up in the Territories

Six Palestinians were killed and at least 15 were wounded over the weekend in a new flare-up of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Force reported Sunday.

The main trouble spots were the Askar refugee camp, near Nablus, where an Arab youth was killed by gunfire, and Samua village, in the Hebron area, where three residents were slightly wounded during clashes Sunday.

Disturbances also were reported near Nablus, Tulkarm and Bidiya village in the Samaria district of the West Bank, where a curfew was imposed Sunday. Palestinian flags were seen flying over the Arab towns of Kalkilya, Tulkarm and Hebron, in the West Bank, and Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

Sunday’s events were the latest in a mounting wave of violence which dashed hopes that unrest in the territories would abate once U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz left the region. Shultz returned to Washington on Saturday.

As of midday Sunday, security forces had not determined the circumstances of the fatality in Askar, where a violent demonstration was reported earlier in the day. Other sources reported that troops fired live ammunition after tear gas and rubber bullets failed to disperse the rioters.

A local resident, identified as Olal Ardah, 17, was pronounced dead at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem of a bullet wound in his head, the sources said.

Trouble developed in Samua when dozens of villagers, trying to erect a barricade on the road, hurled stones, bottles, chunks of iron and other heavy objects at IDF soldiers. An officer opened fire, wounding three residents in their legs.

78 KILLED SINCE DEC. 9

Official military statistics released Sunday said 78 Palestinians were killed since disturbances began Dec. 9. Unofficial figures put the death toll at 85.

According to IDF figures, 650 Arabs have been wounded in a total of 4,800 violent clashes during the last 13 weeks. The IDF said 164 soldiers and 95 Israeli civilians were injured to date.

Jewish settlers took credit for vandalizing Arab-owned cars in Hebron and Bethlehem Saturday night. Tires were slashed and windshields were smashed.

Meanwhile, an IDF officer and two soldiers were indicted by a Jaffa military court Sunday for the brutal beating of two handcuffed Arab youths near Nablus February 25. The beating was filmed by a CBS television camera crew and the incident was widely shown on television in Israel and abroad.

Capt. Yossi Haddad, a deputy battalion commander, was charged with assault and brutal and unfit conduct. Cpl. Sagi Harpaz and Pvt. Yehuda Anjel were charged with grave assault and brutality.

All face disciplinary action if convicted. The two Arabs, a CBS cameraman and senior IDF officers will testify at the military trial.

Last Friday several areas of the West Bank were barred to the news media for the first time since the unrest began. Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron were declared closed military areas. Journalists trying to enter the areas were halted at military roadblocks.

Israelis who demanded the press ban argued that the presence of the news media encouraged rioters.

But the IDF’s chief education officer, Brig. Gen. Nehemiya Dagan, assailed the new policy Sunday. He told Voice of Israel Radio it would be a terrible mistake to keep the media out of the territories. He said Israel should be using press coverage to its own advantage.