2 hours, 45 minutes ago

Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!

By Atef Sa'ad

NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - Armed Jewish settlers opened fire on Palestinian stone-throwers in the West Bank on Tuesday, seriously wounding a 14-year-old boy, Palestinian medics and officials said.

Latest news: · U.S. to Seek U.N. Vote on Iraq Next Week AP - 2 hours, 48 minutes ago · Saddam Vows Iraq Will Beat Any Invaders AP - Tue Mar 4, 5:20 AM ET · U.S. Says Iraqi Jets Entered No-Fly Zone AP - Sun Mar 2, 9:03 AM ET Special Coverage

Israeli-Palestinian violence has persisted despite U.S. calls for restraint in the run-up to a possible war on Iraq (news - web sites).

Israel drew rare U.S. criticism for an army raid in the Gaza Strip (news - web sites) on Monday which killed eight Palestinians, including a pregnant woman crushed under rubble of her home after troops blew up a nearby house belonging to the family of a militant.

Palestinian medics said Bassam al-Khatib was shot in the stomach by settlers firing at stone-throwers in the Palestinian village of Asawya near the West Bank city of Nablus.

The boy was in serious condition in a Nablus hospital after the clash, which village officials said followed attacks on several Palestinian homes in the area on Monday night by settlers from the nearby enclave of Eli.

Israeli media said the settlers were passing through the village in a car. Israeli police said they were investigating.

Palestinian militants have frequently targeted Jewish settlers in territories Israel took in the 1967 Middle East war. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal but Israeli disputes this.

Armed settlers have occasionally attacked Palestinians and damaged their property, including olive groves.

GAZA INCURSION

On Monday, troops waged gun battles with Palestinians, arrested a co-founder of the Islamic militant group Hamas and demolished homes in Gaza refugee camp of Bureij.

The dead included a policeman, a Hamas militant and two civilians, security and hospital officials said. An Israeli brigade commander said he had no information on civilian casualties but that many armed men were killed.

The Palestinian Authority (news - web sites) said Israel was stepping up military operations while world attention was focused on Iraq.

The newly formed rightist coalition of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (news - web sites) has reaffirmed a vow to target Gaza strongholds of Hamas, which has led a wave of suicide bombings against Israelis during a 29-month-old revolt for independence.

The raid caused State Department spokesman Richard Boucher to express "serious concern about civilian casualties." But Boucher added that Washington "understands the need for Israel to defend itself against ongoing violence and terror."

At least 1,888 Palestinians and 706 Israelis have been killed since the Palestinian uprising began in September 2000.

Email Story   Post/Read Msgs   Print Story Ratings: Would you recommend this story? Not at all 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 Highly