Palestinian Teen Killed; Tensions Soar
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians soared Thursday with a Palestinian teenager’s shooting death, apparently by Israelis who opened fire from a car on high school students heading home from class.
The attack, coupled with an announcement by Israel to expand a Jewish settlement, came while Israel was on high alert, bracing for possible attacks by militants before the Jewish holiday season.
The incident also occurred as President Clinton’s peace envoy, Dennis B. Ross, wrapped up an unsuccessful effort at completing a deal to end months of stalemate between the two sides over a long-overdue Israeli troop withdrawal.
The fatal shooting happened in the West Bank village of Beitunia. A 35-year-old man from a Jewish settlement in the area turned himself in to the police.
Two teenagers, both wounded in the stomach, were taken to a hospital, where 17-year-old Iyad Hashem later died. The second boy was in stable condition.
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