RAMALLAH, West Bank, 3 October — Some 2,000 Palestinian students and academic staff from Bir Zeit University clashed early yesterday afternoon with Israeli soldiers outside the West Bank city of Ramallah, following a demonstration against Israel’s closure of Palestinian cities.
Reports from the scene said the clashes began after the Israelis fired teargas and rubber-coated bullets at the protestors, who responded by throwing rocks at the soldiers.
Up to ten Palestinians were injured — most of them slightly — by the bullets, and a further 20 people suffered tear gas inhalation, Palestinians said. The demonstrators were protesting that the Israeli closure prevented them from reaching the university.
This latest clash came as each side accused the other of not carrying out the terms of a cease-fire agreement reached last Wednesday between Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Yassir Arafat.
Arafat has accused Israel of escalating attacks on Palestinians, while Israel Army Radio quoted Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Ben- Eliezer as telling US Secretary of State Colin Powell that the Palestinians were not carrying out their obligations under Wednesday’s agreement. The radio said while Israel has pulled back its tanks from positions by Palestinian cities, the cities still remain under Israeli siege, because of what Israel says are continuing Palestinian shooting attacks and the possibility that Palestinian militants will leave them to strike at Israeli targets.
Palestinians fired three mortars Monday night at the Erez industrial zone at the northern entrance to the Gaza Strip, and several shooting attacks were reported in the West Bank. There were no reports of injuries.
Palestinian media reports said the army restrictions had led to a pregnant Palestinian woman giving birth at the Surda checkpoint while heading for Ramallah hospital.
Local residents also joined the rally against restrictions on the road.
A few hundred people sat down in front of the soldiers at the roadblock, singing and chanting.
International students tried to put themselves between an Israeli Army patrol and the students removing the earth.
In an open letter to the Israeli Army, the university organizers appealed to the Israeli troops manning the roadblock to “search your consciences and your hearts” and stop the restrictions on students and lecturers trying to get to classes.
The letter said such restrictions were contrary to international conventions and it reminded “each and every soldier that respect for international law is a higher obligation than obeying illegal orders.”
The Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds said yesterday that a pregnant Palestinian woman gave birth at the checkpoint late Monday after Israeli forces prevented the ambulance she was in from passing.
It said Sahar Zuhdi Musa Sharakeh, 23, from the Jalazon refugee camp, gave birth in the ambulance car at the checkpoint after failing to make it to Ramallah university.
At a separate roadblock west of Ramallah Monday, Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian boy in the back, seriouly injuring him, after he had passed through the military checkpoint, witnesses said.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Israeli Defense Minister Benyamin Ben Eliezer, Israeli radio said yesterday, while a top aide to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said he had also talked with Powell. Nabil Abu Rudeina, a close advisor to Arafat, told AFP he too had spoken to Powell late Monday, telling him that Washington must put pressure on Israel to end its aggression against Palestinians and totally lift the blockade. Israeli roadblocks were still in place around Jericho early yesterday, an AFP reporter on the scene said.
Some 18 Palestinians have been killed since Arafat and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres met on Sept. 26 and pledged to do their utmost to make the truce stick.
Meanwhile, officials in Washington said they were “deeply troubled” by the ongoing violence.
