Arab Shot to Death in Gaza Clash With Israeli Troops

An Arab man was shot to death in the Gaza Strip on Saturday as Israeli troops clashed with stone-throwing protesters at the start of the eighth month of a Palestinian uprising.

Officials at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said 25-year-old Faek Suleiman Hussein was killed by a soldier during a demonstration at the Jabaliya refugee camp after a prayer session in a local mosque.

An army spokesman confirmed that Hussein was shot to death but had no more details. Hussein’s body was taken from the hospital by relatives who were anxious to prevent it from falling into army hands, the spokesman said.

The killing pushed the Palestinian death toll to well over 200 in the uprising that started last Dec. 9. Four Israelis have also died.

Witnesses said scores of Israeli troops, firing tear-gas canisters and wielding clubs, later battled for more than an hour with about 150 stone-throwing Arabs in Gaza City’s Sharjiyeh Square.

Shouting over loudspeakers at four mosques in the area, the Arab protesters called for a holy war against Israel and urged residents to come out and confront troops encircling them.

Israel Radio said the army broke up riots at a refugee camp near Bethlehem. Several Palestinians were reported injured.

A call by the underground leadership of the uprising for a two-day general strike to mark seven months of unrest was observed across the occupied territories.

The army declared parts of the Gaza Strip and West Bank “closed military areas” and blocked entry by journalists.