Israeli Tank Comes under Fire on Edge of Jerusalem

Published October 19th, 2000 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

An Israeli tank, stationed in a Jewish sector of east Jerusalem, came under small arms fire from a nearby Arab village Thursday, Israeli police said. 

No one was hurt in the firing on the tank in the Gilo district from the village of Beit Jala, police said. 

Right wing Jerusalem mayor, Ehud Olmert, speaking on army radio, called for a strong response to such attacks. 

Work started on a new wall in Gilo Wednesday to shield it from regular shooting from Palestinian villages on the West Bank since the current unrest broke out three weeks ago. 

Two tanks have been deployed for the last two weeks in Gilo but fired back with machine-guns for the first time on Tuesday, for five minutes, residents said. 

An Israeli border-guard was seriously wounded earlier this week by shooting from Beit Jala, and several civilians have left their homes. 

The level of violence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 100 people, has considerably diminished in recent days, notably since Tuesday's US-brokered Sharm el-Sheikh truce accord between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat – JERUSALEM (AFP)  

 

 

© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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