Israelis in North to Get Funds for Safety, Economy

On the first anniversary of his election victory, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday tried to win over wary residents of northern Israel with a plan to beef up the defenses of towns near the Lebanese border ahead of an Israeli pullout from Lebanon.

Barak’s Cabinet allocated $386 million to fortify border towns and help northern Israel’s economy cope with the fallout from potential guerrilla attacks after the Israeli army withdraws from Lebanon by a July 7 target date.

In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where three Palestinians were killed and hundreds wounded Monday, clashes with Israeli security forces continued but at a lower intensity than earlier this week.

An Israeli patrol came under gunfire in a village near the West Bank city of Nablus, but no one was hurt, an Israeli officer said.

Palestinians pelted Israeli soldiers with stones and threw gasoline bombs near the Jewish settlement of Netzarim in Gaza, witnesses said.

In northern Israel, local officials responded to the boosted government funding with mixed feelings.

“This is not real compensation. . . . No one can compensate a child who hides under his school desk every time a plane passes overhead,” said Yitzhak Kakon, deputy mayor of the border town of Kiryat Shemona, a frequent target of rocket attacks by Hezbollah guerrillas.