Nine Palestinians leave Bethlehem church

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Originally published Friday, April 26, 2002

BETHLEHEM, West Bank -- Nine young Palestinians, wearing masks against the stench, emerged from the Church of the Nativity on Thursday carrying the rotting corpses of two Palestinian policemen in makeshift wooden coffins.

It was a small breakthrough in the three-week standoff at one of Christianity's holiest shrines, where 30 gunmen are among more than 200 Palestinians holed up and surrounded by Israeli troops.

In nearby Ramallah, where Israeli troops are just outside the door of Yasser Arafat's offices, the Palestinians inside announced a court run by a judge and lawyers with little or no legal experience had convicted four Palestinians for the murder of an Israeli Cabinet minister. The proceedings were clearly intended to help bring an end to the Israeli siege.

Seven Palestinians were reported killed in various incidents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But developments surrounding the confrontations in Bethlehem and Ramallah marked the most substantial progress in days, if not weeks, though both sides remained at odds on core issues.

Israel wants to arrest or deport the gunmen in the Church of the Nativity and demands custody of the men convicted of killing Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi last October.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was considering allowing Arafat to leave his shattered West Bank headquarters for Gaza if the Palestinian leader agrees to use his intact security force in the southern Palestinian enclave to crack down on militants there. Sharon aide Danny Ayalon said the offer had not been proposed formally to Arafat.

In Bethlehem, Israeli authorities immediately took the nine Palestinians, ages 14 to 20, for questioning.

"These are not among the group of wanted gunmen," said army spokesman Capt. Jacob Dallal. "Now they're being fed. The army is providing them with food and water."

The youths entered the church looking for relatives or friends shortly after the standoff began April 2, Palestinians said.

Angered by what they considered the arrest of the youths, Palestinian negotiators broke off further talks with Israelis until they're freed.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

back to Terror in America index