Mideast - AFP
Palestinian child killed as Israel seeks assurances over West Bank barrier
Date: Sat, Jul 03, 2004
JERUSALEM (AFP) - A Palestinian child was killed in continued violence in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) as Israel sought assurances of US support over a possible unfavourable world court ruling against its separation barrier in the West Bank.
Nine-year-old Ihab Shakat was killed and a second child wounded in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun when Israeli troops opened fire on stonethrowing youths, Palestinian medics and witnesses said.
The youths were protesting against a continued army incursion launched last Monday in response to the first Palestinian rocket attack across the border into southern Israel to kill Israeli citizens, witnesses said.
Palestinian medics said Shakat was killed by Israeli fire, but an army source insisted that troops had fired only "warning shots" after coming "under threat."
Shakat lost his life just a day after three Palestinian men were killed by Israeli fire in three separate incidents in Gaza.
His death brought the toll from the Palestinian uprising launched in September 2000 to 4,145, including 3,150 Palestinians and 923 Israelis, according to an AFP tally.
In an interview published on Friday in the Yediot Aharonot daily, Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said the army will remain in Beit Hanun until "the last minute" before the scheduled Israeli withdrawal from Gaza by end-2005.
Meanwhile, Israeli armour mounted a new incursion Saturday in the northern Gaza Strip, near the Jabalya refugee camp, Palestinian security sources said.
Amid the violence, Israel was on the diplomatic offensive in a bid to secure US support should the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issue an unfavourable ruling in the non-binding case against its controversial West Bank barrier.
On Friday, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said he discussed the likely fallout from next Friday's ruling during talks in Washington with US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites).
But Shalom declined to specify whether that meant he had secured a commitment from Rice for Washington to use its powers in the Security Council.
He said the barrier and the upcoming ICJ ruling were "central to the talks," Shalom said.
"We know about Palestinian attempts to turn this into one big celebration," the minister said.
"Our aim is both to prevent this celebration and also, if it goes before the (UN) Security Council, to bring about a veto.
"We hope there will be a veto if it comes to that. There is an expectation that this will happen," he said.
Although the court's opinion is non-binding, criticism from such a quarter could be higly embarrassing for Israel.
On Wednesday, Israel's supreme court called for changes to the barrier's route to minimise the impact on Palestinian residents.
Shalom said its action demonstrated there was no need for further international involvement in the issue.
Israel insists that the barrier is a vital protection against Palestinian militants intent on infiltrating Jewish population centres, but Palestinians label it as a landgrab aimed at pre-empting the borders of their promised state.
Shalom is also due to meet UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) ahead of the ICJ ruling.
SOURCE
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