A month of Mideast clashes leaves 145 dead

A funeral procession for a Palestinian man killed in clashes was held Saturday in Gaza

Fighting and funerals in West Bank, Gaza

In this story: Overnight clashes 'Day of rage' Clinton enlists German help Coalition efforts continue RELATED STORIES, SITES

CNN Correspondent Fionnuala Sweeney contributed to this report.

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Dozens of Palestinians were injured in clashes in Gaza and the West Bank town of Ramallah on Saturday in a wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians that has continued for a month.

VIDEO Interview with Murhaf Jouejati of The Middle East Institute and Naomi Weinberger from Columbia University on the Mideast crisis Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Jerrold Kessel reports on funerals and skirmishes in the Mideast (October 28) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     AUDIO Colonel Gal Hirsh of the Israel Defense Forces comments on the fighting in Ramallah on Friday 851K/40 sec. AIFF or WAV sound     MESSAGE BOARD Mideast peace     RESOURCES Mideast struggle for peace     ALSO Israeli policemen suspended for allegedly beating Palestinian suspect Israeli-Palestinian gunfight breaks out in Hebron despite curfew

Saturday's fighting broke out after funerals for four Palestinians killed in clashes Friday against Israeli soldiers. A Palestinian teen-ager who had been shot in the head on Saturday was among the wounded.

At least 145 people have died since fighting started exactly one month ago, on September 28. Almost all of those killed have been Palestinians.

Israelis say they are open to renewed talks to stop the clashes but continued to blame Palestinians for the violence.

"There is strong interest on the Palestinian side to keep the violence up, to keep fire and blood in the territories because that's the way they decided, that's the way they want ... to pave the way for a Palestinian state," Nachman Shai, Israeli government spokesman, told CNN. "We are not going to cooperate with them, not at all."

Blaming Israel for the continued fighting, a Palestinian leader said he was looking for signs that Israel had changed its view.

"As long as we still have hope to go back and negotiate with the Israelis and solve this problem with peaceful ways, I would rather go to the negotiations and to a peaceful means," Palestinian Cabinet Minister Ziad Abu Zayyad told CNN. "But, I don't see any change from the Israeli side, which would help us and give us the feeling that this is still possible and this is still on the agenda of the Israelis."

Overnight, Israeli helicopter gunships opened fire against Palestinian targets in the West Bank Arab town of Beit Jalla, where police said Palestinians were firing on the adjacent Jewish neighborhood of Gilo, outside Jerusalem.

Israeli soldiers initially fired machine guns at Beit Jalla and around midnight, a helicopter cruised over the village and fired a missile.

In Gilo, Israeli tanks fired two shells, targeting suspected assailants, police said. There were no reports of injuries.

Friday's unrest in Palestinian cities throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip marked an upsurge in fighting after several days of comparatively low-level violence. More than 150 Palestinians were injured, while four Israeli troops were hurt.

Friday's mayhem began with Palestinians pouring out of mosques following midday prayers and clashing with Israeli troops, in what the Palestinian Fatah movement called a "day of rage."

Fatah is recognized as the political arm of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat.

Fatah declared Fridays "days of rage" after Israeli opposition Likud party leader Ariel Sharon visited an east Jerusalem site holy to both Muslims and Jews on September 28 -- a visit Palestinians, who revile Sharon, viewed as intensely provocative.

Israel, which has suspended peace negotiations with the Palestinians, also insists that restoring calm is a precondition for new talks.

Both sides blame the other for the continued fighting.

Friday, U.S. President Bill Clinton telephoned German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to enlist his aid in resolving the situation, according to White House spokesman P.J. Crowley.

Schroeder is scheduled to travel to Cairo, Egypt; Beirut, Lebanon; Damascus, Syria; Tel Aviv, Israel; and Amman, Jordan, Crowley said, adding that the chancellor was expected to meet separately with Barak and Arafat.

The National Task Force for the Crisis in Jerusalem sponsored a rally in front of the White House on Saturday to protest Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians

"The president encouraged him to deliver a firm message on urging the two sides to overcome the violence and get back to the peace process," Crowley said.

Meanwhile, Barak's efforts to hold power by forming a so-called emergency coalition government with Sharon continued, so far, without success.

Barak met Saturday with some of his most senior colleagues and advisers to discuss what Israel's negotiating position would be if peace talks were to resume.

Shai said Israel was ready "at any given moment" to resume peace negotiations.

Sharon was said to be holding out for a veto on security issues before he would agree to join Barak's proposed coalition.

Time is running out for Barak's crumbling government. The Israeli Knesset reconvenes Sunday, but its first official meeting is not scheduled until Monday.

Militant group claims responsibility for Gaza suicide bombing
October 26, 2000
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October 24, 2000
Barak and Sharon at odds on coalition government
October 23, 2000
More Middle East killings as Arab nations confer on crisis
October 21, 2000

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