Jewish Settler Fires Shots At Palestinians Two Sides Clash Over Fence On Disputed Land In Gaza Strip

A Jewish settler screaming in broken Arabic fired dozens of shots at Palestinians in a land dispute Monday and tried to run them down with his tractor. A deaf Palestinian was wounded by the gunfire.

Israeli troops arrived midway through the half-hour shooting and did nothing to stop the settler. Palestinians who tried to tear down a fence surrounding the settlement ducked behind trees.

In a second clash in the West Bank town of Hebron, Palestinians threw stones and firebombs at Israeli troops who responded with rubber bullets.

Nineteen people were hurt, including a photographer on assignment for The Associated Press.

The Gaza clash began when 30 Palestinians tried to tear down a fence near the Gush Katif settlement, arguing it was part of an illegal land grab. Israeli officials said the fence stood on land that was always part of the settlement.

After the protesters arrived, a bearded settler riding on a tractor shouted “Get out of here!” and began firing his pistol. He also tried to run down Palestinian cameramen and photographers.

Israeli troops eventually threw stun grenades to disperse the Palestinians.

The settler stopped firing and rode off on his tractor. He was not detained by the Israelis.

In Hebron, Palestinian police stayed away from the clashes Monday, as they have done for two previous days. That prompted new allegations by Israel that the violence was orchestrated by Arafat’s Palestinian Authority.

“Palestinian police have refrained from acting against the violence on the Palestinian side,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Palestinian legislators, meanwhile, began debate Monday on a proposed law that would impose the death penalty on Palestinians who sell land to Israelis and other non-Palestinians.

On Monday, the widow of a suspected land dealer said her husband did not commit suicide as Palestinian officials claim but died after being beaten in Palestinian custody.

Hakam Kamhawi, 57, died Sunday at a hospital in the West Bank town of Ramallah. A Palestinian security official said Kamhawi apparently killed himself.

But Kamhawi’s wife, Ansaf, told The Associated Press that her husband had no reason to take his own life and said his body was covered with bruises.

The escalating violence comes during a deadlock in the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks following the failure of the latest mediation attempt, this time by Egypt. The battle for land is at the heart of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

“The peace process is hitting an impasse because of Israel’s provocative policies and its refusal to implement agreements,” Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said Monday.

Palestinians were also angered by a non-binding resolution approved by the U.S. Congress last week recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, despite Palestinian claims to the eastern sector of the city as a future capital.