A Palestinian was shot dead today by Israeli soldiers in an exchange of fire in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian security sources said.
Hamzeh al-Kawasmi (24) was shot in the head in Hebron's a-Sheikh neighborhood, one of two Arab quarters raided by Israeli troops early Friday morning, after gunmen shot two female Jewish pilgrims visiting for the holiday of Sukkot.
Earlier an aide to Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon. voiced confidence today a dispute with the US was over after Mr Sharon retreated from suggestions that Washington was appeasing the Arabs at Israel's expense.
"I think this whole thing is behind us," the aide, Mr Zalman Shoval, told CNN.
After a rare rebuke from the White House yesterday, Mr Sharon praised US President Mr Bush's anti-terrorism drive, which includes efforts to rally Arab states behind a coalition to respond to the September 11th attacks.
The prime minister requested to forward to the president his appreciation of the bold and courageous decision of the president to fight terrorism. Israel fully supports this position and cooperates with it, Mr Sharon's office said in a statement issued late yesterday.
It was a retreat from blunt comments on Thursday when Mr Sharon vowed not to accept the fate of Czechoslovakia -- sacrificed by the Western powers for a brief peace with Nazi Germany -and told Washington not to appease the Arabs at his country’s expense.
AFP and