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Israelis Kill 2 Palestinian Youths; Aid Worker Hurt

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From Times Wire Services

Israeli troops shot and killed two Palestinian teen-agers in the Gaza Strip on Saturday in one of the bloodiest clashes in the Palestinian uprising in several weeks.

A Red Cross worker also was wounded in the confrontation in the crowded Khan Yunis refugee camp, the first international relief worker to be hurt in the nearly 14-month-old uprising.

Arab hospital officials said at least 23 protesters were wounded in the camp. Six other Palestinians were shot in scattered clashes throughout the southern Gaza Strip, and one was shot in the West Bank town of Qalqiliya, Arab reporters and hospital officials said.

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The army spokesman confirmed the two deaths but said only 16 were wounded.

The army imposed a curfew on the Khan Yunis camp and ordered its 35,000 residents to stay in their homes until further notice.

The boys killed Saturday were identified as 15-year-old Allah Abdullah Arandez and 16-year-old Maged Jawdat Ihlak.

A military spokesman said troops had no choice but to open fire with plastic bullets to disperse a group of women and masked youths who surrounded their lookout point and attacked it with rocks.

An Arab reporter said Arandez was the second son in his family to be killed in the revolt against Israeli rule in the occupied lands.

The Arandez family immediately took Allah Abdullah’s body from the hospital and buried him.

After Arandez’s funeral, clashes broke out anew. Ihlak was shot, and 23 other protesters were reportedly wounded.

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Ihlak died of a chest wound while undergoing surgery, Nasser Hospital officials said.

As troops fired tear gas and rubber and plastic bullets in an attempt to disperse protesters, an International Red Cross worker was shot in the leg, military and Red Cross officials said.

Alexander Antonin, 30, was helping in the evacuation of wounded when he was struck by a plastic bullet.

He arrived in Israel about 10 days ago, said Frederick Maurice, head of the International Red Cross mission in Israel.

“He was in between the soldiers and the protesters,” Maurice said. “There was also tear gas and it was difficult to see what was going on.”

He said the Red Cross regarded the incident as an accident.

Since the uprising began Dec. 9, 1987, about 350 Palestinians, 10 Israelis and one Israeli Arab have been killed.

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