OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, 17 October 2003 — Palestinian police yesterday exchanged fire with militants and arrested three suspects in an attack on US diplomats. Later they tried to detain a fourth man who opened fire on the officers. Police left the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, and several dozen residents took to the streets in a protest against the security forces.
The brief exchange of fire resulted in five security force members being lightly wounded
The three suspects are members of the Popular Resistance Committees, a group of dozens of armed men from various factions, many former members of the security forces. In Wednesday’s attack, three American security guards were killed and one was wounded.
Following the killing of the Americans, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom revived the Israeli threat to expel Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
“The Palestinians, and Arafat at their head, continue to encourage terrorist attacks, and I believe that, at the end of the day, the Americans realize that as long as Arafat remains in the region, it will not be possible to see the emergence of another, moderate Palestinian leadership prepared for dialogue with Israel,” Shalom told public radio.
Following two bombings in early September, the Israeli security Cabinet approved in principle the forcible expulsion of Arafat.
