2 Palestinian Protesters Slain on West Bank

Israelis shot and killed two Palestinians and wounded a dozen others today in a hail of gunfire in a West Bank village that caused the first deaths in the occupied territories in two weeks.

A military spokesman said it was not immediately clear whether soldiers, police or an Israeli civilian fired the shots that killed two rock-throwing protesters.

The two deaths brought to at least 38 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire since anti-Israel protests began Dec. 9.

The shootings occurred after youths set up roadblocks in the village of Anabta, 40 miles north of Jerusalem on the main road between Nablus and Tulkarm. A civilian bus carrying soldiers, a car with Israeli license plates and a police car stopped at a barricade and were stoned.

Moayad Shajar, 21, and Mourad Hamdallah, 17, were killed, and one other Palestinian was wounded by gunfire. A few minutes later, an army patrol arrived on the scene and opened fire, wounding in the legs two more Arabs, after the soldiers became trapped in a life-threatening situation, the spokesman said.

Settler Wounded

An army spokesman said it was unclear whether troops or Jewish settlers in the civilian car had opened fire on the Palestinians. A settler was critically wounded on Sunday when Arabs hurled a firebomb at his car.

Soldiers immediately clamped a curfew on Anabta but allowed residents to bury their dead relatives. Protests began in Tulkarm after the casualties were taken to a hospital there, witnesses said.

Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin, reacting to the first killing of protesters since he announced earlier this month that troops would beat Palestinians rather than shoot them to avoid more Arab deaths, said:

“It must be clear to the residents of the territories that we shall continue with our policy aimed at achieving calm, even if it takes a long time.

“We shall conduct a policy of force to prevent violent activities when they are taking place. We shall continue to arrest participants in violent activities, organizers and agitators,” he told reporters in Parliament.

3rd Day of Renewed Violence

Violent demonstrations were reported in towns and U.N.-run refugee camps throughout the occupied West Bank. It was the third day of renewed violence after two weeks of relative calm. The Gaza Strip was relatively quiet, but Bureij refugee camp was put under curfew after residents clashed with soldiers.

The Arab-run Palestine Press Service said at least 13 people were injured in clashes with soldiers throughout the West Bank. The army said two Palestinians in Janin and two in Beit Hanina near Hebron were injured by gunfire. Three soldiers were slightly wounded by rocks, the army said.

Demonstrations erupted today at many West Bank schools that reopened after a three-week recess. Students at several schools in the Hebron area protested, and at Bethlehem University, six miles south of Jerusalem, students stoned cars.