Israeli Troops Kill Arab in New West Bank Clash

An Israeli policy of destroying the homes of suspected terrorists led to a major confrontation Friday in a village in the occupied West Bank. A Palestinian was killed and seven people, including two Israeli army officers, were wounded, according to army officials.

News reports, however, quoting witnesses and hospital officials, said that as many as 21 Palestinians were wounded in the clash.

The confrontation took place in Beit Furik, about five miles southeast of Nablus, the West Bank’s largest town, which was under curfew Friday because of the wounding of an Israeli soldier the night before.

18 Homes Destroyed

The army has begun a campaign to crush the use of firebombs by Arab protesters by destroying or sealing their homes. Israel Radio said Friday that 18 homes had been bulldozed in the previous 24 hours.

Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who is in charge of formulating security policy in the Israeli-occupied territories, told Israel Radio that soldiers and Israeli civilians are now authorized to shoot anyone throwing a gasoline bomb.

“We define it as a weapon, and the action against the throwers is as if they used weapons,” Rabin said. “Those self-defense orders also include Israeli civilians traveling on the roads.”

The government has also begun handing out prison sentences of up to 10 years to people who use firebombs.

The confrontation in the West Bank erupted Friday when about 100 Israeli soldiers arrived in Beit Furik to destroy the home of Ahmed Hanani, who was accused of being involved in the 1986 slaying of Zafer Masri, the Israeli-appointed mayor of Nablus.

Residents of the village blocked the soldiers’ path and hurled stones and bottles at them. An army spokesman said the soldiers fired on the crowd, estimated at about 700 people, because they regarded the situation as “life threatening.”

The army said a Palestinian, 24-year-old Tayseer Mlaitat, was fatally shot in the chest. Five other Palestinians were wounded by gunfire, and two Israeli army officers were injured by stones.

The army also said that five Arabs were arrested Friday in Beit Furik; residents of the town said 20 persons were taken away. The town was placed under curfew.

According to the Israeli army, 195 Palestinians have been killed since the current uprising began last December.