Palestinian youth killed in Gaza

Israeli occupation forces continue to try and crush Palestinian resistance

Fifteen-year-old Khaled Nasser was killed when Israeli tanks opened machine-gun fire on stonethrowers, wounding another 17 in the town of Beit Hanoun.

Israeli bulldozers also demolished at least three Palestinian homes in the northern Gaza Strip town.

In a separate incident, a Palestinian accused of collaborating with Israel was “executed” in the occupied West Bank, said the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in a statement.

Closure

Earlier today a Palestinian detonated a bomb strapped to himself in a bus in Jerusalem. He died in the attack along with seven Jewish settlers.

In the occupied West Bank city of Hebron a second Palestinian set off a bomb, killing himself and two Jewish settlers.

The resistance strikes came in response to a week of Israeli military attacks across the occupied Palestinian territories which have killed about 20 civilians.

Israeli Cabinet

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon concluded a cabinet meeting with army and intelligence officials on Sunday night having postponed a visit to Washington after the Palestinian resistance strikes.

Sharon was to present his objections over a US-backed “road map” aimed at ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to US President George W. Bush.

Sharon dismissed Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz’s suggestion to expel Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at this time, saying it would strengthen the Palestinian leader.

Sharon said he would prefer to keep Arafat under siege at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, than have him welcomed in host countries, reported Aljazeera.

Following the meeting the Israeli army announced it would impose “general closure” would be imposed on the West Bank stopping the few remaining Palestinians still allowed to work in Israel.

Israel has long imposed blockades on Palestinian cities, towns and villages and has heavily restricted entry into the area many Palestinians refer to as ‘1948 Palestine’, especially since the start of the current intifada in September 2000.

Israel radio said the statement meant In a separate incident, a gas canister accidentally exploded near a Tel Aviv restaurant late Sunday, injuring about 20 people.