Palestinian Kills Israeli Soldier Outside Church of the Nativity

A Palestinian gunman killed an Israeli army officer Tuesday night in front of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, despite Israeli measures to restrict the movement of Palestinians due to “hot” warnings of possible terrorist attacks.

The soldier, a tank captain, was hit by a sniper’s bullet about 10 p.m. in Manger Square, the army said.

The shooting set off a chase through the winding streets of the West Bank town, the biblical birthplace of Jesus, but the gunman and his accomplices escaped. Two tanks moved into Manger Square, and a military curfew was quickly imposed on Bethlehem.

The slain soldier was part of a group on jeep patrol that was fired on after carrying out a “controlled explosion,” blowing up a suspicious vehicle in the square, the army said.

Israel had clamped a tight closure on all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip just as Muslims were preparing to mark the four-day Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, one of the Islamic world’s most festive holidays. The closure, which allows no one in or out of the Palestinian territories except in cases of pressing humanitarian need, was expected to last until Friday.

Israel had intended to ease restrictions on movement during the feast, the army said, but decided on the closure after receiving warnings that there was imminent danger of a serious attack, such as a suicide bombing. During Eid, which began Tuesday, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza usually travel to be with their families, but the closure prevented nearly all from leaving their hometowns.

Hours before the Bethlehem shooting, Palestinians said an 8-year-old boy was killed when Israeli troops fired on a crowd in the West Bank town of Kalkilya. The army said that during a “violent riot,” its troops returned fire at a trio hurling firebombs at soldiers.

The Israeli military considers incendiary devices potentially lethal weapons when thrown at fuel-laden armored vehicles or at individual soldiers, and troops shoot at firebomb-throwers. Several children have been killed in such incidents in recent months.

Palestinian officials said at least eight people were wounded in the shooting.

In Gaza, the body of a Palestinian described by Israel as an activist in the Hamas militant group was recovered at daylight after he was shot and killed overnight near a crossing into Israel. The army said he had a bulletproof vest, which is usually regarded by the Israeli army as evidence of intent to carry out an attack.

The violence illustrated the difficulty of securing -- and maintaining -- any cease-fire. The two sides have been trying to arrange a temporary truce, but past accords have fallen apart because of continued violence.

Israel on Tuesday night reported the postponement of a round of what were to have been cease-fire talks, saying the delay was for technical reasons.

The talks were an outgrowth of recent high-level contacts between Israel and Palestinian officials -- the first such discussions in months -- that were disclosed by both sides late last week.

Continuing a pattern, Israel conducted overnight raids that resulted in the arrests of 18 Palestinians it said were militants.

The army said it was foiling near-constant attempts by militants to sneak into Israel and carry out attacks.

The sealing-off of the Palestinian territories -- a measure usually taken on only a few important Jewish holidays and on election days in Israel -- was denounced by Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.

“They are trying to break our people, but our people are very strong,” he told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah after holiday prayers. “The mountain will not be shaken by the wind.”