Israel Military Confrontations

Fierce clashes spread through the Israeli-occupied territories Thursday as soldiers shot and wounded at least 30 Palestinians protesting the Israeli military's fiery two-day siege in the West Bank town of Hebron. Israel Radio announced that two Israeli soldiers and three civilians were slightly wounded in the rioting and street fights that left more than two dozen Palestinians hospitalized throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian teenagers greeted the rat-a-tat-tat of Israel's arsenal with excited grins as they sprinted for cover behind walls and cars. They had waited impatiently for the volley of gunfire Wednesday, watching dozens of their cohorts taunt the soldiers by throwing stones and occasionally firing Kalashnikovs despite what they claimed were orders from Palestinian officials to stop shooting.

The Palestinian teenagers greeted the rat-a-tat-tat of Israel's arsenal with excited grins as they sprinted for cover behind walls and cars. They had waited impatiently for the volley of gunfire Wednesday, watching dozens of their cohorts taunt the soldiers by throwing stones and occasionally firing Kalashnikovs despite what they claimed were orders from Palestinian officials to stop shooting.

Fierce clashes spread through the Israeli-occupied territories Thursday as soldiers shot and wounded at least 30 Palestinians protesting the Israeli military's fiery two-day siege in the West Bank town of Hebron. Israel Radio announced that two Israeli soldiers and three civilians were slightly wounded in the rioting and street fights that left more than two dozen Palestinians hospitalized throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel's security forces Wednesday battled armed Palestinian extremists for more than 18 hours in a firefight that left at least five Palestinians dead, among them a pregnant woman and four men identified by authorities as the most wanted Islamic fundamentalist fighters in this shellshocked city.

Israeli troops, striking hard against the Palestinian force most bitterly opposed to peace, raided six hide-outs of the Islamic militant group Hamas in the occupied Gaza Strip on Saturday, pounding them with antitank missiles and killing two top commanders. A sweeping Israeli manhunt for Hamas activists left at least 10 Gaza homes ruined or damaged, Palestinian journalists said. The army reported that it had made 16 arrests and killed the two Hamas leaders in a shootout.

Israel's security forces Wednesday battled armed Palestinian extremists for more than 18 hours in a firefight that left at least five Palestinians dead, among them a pregnant woman and four men identified by authorities as the most wanted Islamic fundamentalist fighters in this shellshocked city.

Israeli troops, striking hard against the Palestinian force most bitterly opposed to peace, raided six hide-outs of the Islamic militant group Hamas in the occupied Gaza Strip on Saturday, pounding them with antitank missiles and killing two top commanders. A sweeping Israeli manhunt for Hamas activists left at least 10 Gaza homes ruined or damaged, Palestinian journalists said. The army reported that it had made 16 arrests and killed the two Hamas leaders in a shootout.