4 Die, Scores Hurt in Mideast Clashes
Palestinians poured out of mosques after midday prayers Friday and clashed with Israeli troops in violence that left four Palestinians dead, more than 150 injured and clouds of smoke and tear gas over cities across the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Islamic militants, chanting “We want a big bomb!” also warned at mass rallies that they would unleash more suicide bombers on Israel.
The heightened unrest, which followed several days of comparatively low levels of violence, could affect efforts by President Clinton to revive peace talks.
Thousands of Palestinian rock-throwers--and a few gunmen--took part in the confrontations. North of the West Bank town of Ramallah, smoke from a burning car filled the air as Israeli soldiers fired from behind a line of jeeps. Palestinian gunmen at one point fired on Israeli soldiers, who shot and killed a 27-year-old Palestinian.
Three more Palestinians were killed in three separate clashes, two in the West Bank and one at the Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
In all, 152 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers were injured, according to Palestinian doctors and the Israeli military.
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