Two Arab Youths Killed, Six Wounded by Israeli Troops During Stone Throwing Melees in Ramallah, Bir

Two Arab youths were fatally wounded by Israeli troops during stone-throwing melees in Ramallah and Bir Zeit in the West Bank less than 24 hours apart. Six other young Arabs were wounded and an Israel Defense Force officer was injured by a rock.

Abdallah Baker, 20, a student at the Ramallah Industrial School, was shot in the chest today and died while undergoing surgery at a local hospital. A second Ramallah youth suffered a thigh wound.

Yesterday, Sharif Khalil Taibe, 23, a student at Bir Zeit University, was shot to death and five other students were wounded when IDF troops opened fire to quellrioting on the campus. Taibe and Baker were the first West Bank demonstrators killed by Israeli forces since last January 28 when. ‘?-year-old Nablus youth was fatally shot by the IDI.

Maj. Gen. Amnon Lipkin, commander of the central region, said yesterday’s disturbances at Bir Zeit began as clashes between students who support Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasir Arafat and anti-Arafat students.

The violence was apparently triggered by the Palestine National Council meeting convened by Arafat and scheduled to open in Amann, Jordan today. The meeting is opposed by anti-Arafat dissidents within the PLO, backed mainly by Syria. West Bank Palestinians generally are pro-Arafat but a strong minority oppose him, especially among students.

According to Lipkin, fights broke out between students on the Bir Zeit campus and spilled onto the adjacent roads. Employes of the West Bank civil administration’s public works department engaged in road repairs were stoned and stones were hurled at passing Jewish vehicles.

Barricades of rocks and burning tires blocked the roads. IDF troops sent in to remove them were surrounded by rioters and opened fire to extricate themselves. Israeli sources said. One officer was struck in the head by a rock. According to the sources, only two of the wounded Arab youths were hit by IDF bullets. The others were injured by rocks thrown by fellow students. the sources said.

DEMONSTRATIONS REPORTEDLY CAREFULLY PLANNED

According to some observers, not identified, the demonstrations were carefully planned in anticipation of IDF intervention. They noted that buckets of water were readied to smother tear gas bombs which, as expected, the IDF fired before resorting to bullets.

Lipkin proposed that Bir Zeit University be closed, as it has been many times in the past after campus disturbances. The Israeli authorities were supposed to announce their decision last night. No arrests were made but IDF units were interrogating students in an effort to identify the ringleaders.

This morning’s outbreak in Ramallah followed a pro-Arafat rally. Hundreds of Arab youths attacked IDF soldiers with rocks. The fatal shooting of Taibe occurred when a group of soldiers was surrounded by about 50 stone-throwing youths in the center of town. The soldiers fired into the air but as the rocks continued to fly, they opened fire on the attackers, according to Israeli sources.

The situation was reported quiet elsewhere on the West Bank following the clash in Ramallah.