Palestinian killed in blockade clash

In this story: Cabinet could be at loggerheads Arab League pledge aid to Palestinians RELATED STORIES, SITES

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- At least one Palestinian was killed on Monday in clashes with Israeli soldiers over tightened blockades around the West Bank town of Ramallah, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said.

But Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer said the restrictions imposed around four other towns would be eased in the coming days.

The tank-enforced blockades imposed on Sunday around Ramallah and the announced easing of blockades imposed for the past five months at Tulkarem, Kalkillia, Hebron, and Bethlehem are part of new Israeli Prime Minister Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's security policy for Israel. He pledged to boost security during his campaign for the prime minister post.

Sharon said in a statement that he wanted to make conditions easier on Palestinians who did not engage in violence against Israelis, but would "act in those places where terrorist activity is carried out."

The Ramallah blockades were imposed after Israel received warnings of a possible terror attack, the Israeli army said.

South of Ramallah, long lines of traffic backed up on roads leading to Jerusalem as Israeli troops, backed by armored personnel carriers, conducted checks of vehicles and pedestrians.

About 1,500 Palestinians, led by Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo, marched towards a barrier north of the town on Monday to protest against the blockade.

Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets as the Palestinians tried to tear down an army barrier using a bulldozer. Witnesses said the man who died was watching the protest on a nearby hilltop.

In addition to the Palestinian who was killed, 28 people were wounded in checkpoint clashes and another 58 were suffering from the effects of tear gas, Palestinian hospital officials said.

Cabinet could be at loggerheads

In Jerusalem, Sharon held his first Cabinet meeting since assuming power last week from former Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

The blockade policy could be the eight-party Cabinet's first conflict as well: Sharon's Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, and Transportation Minister Ephraim Sneh -- both from the former prime minister's Labor Party -- has previously spoken out against such blockades as a method of controlling the violence.

Sharon won an overwhelming victory over Barak in February, but struggled to form a coalition government with a deeply divided Knesset waiting to pass its judgement.

The Knesset accepted Sharon's coalition last week, and the former army general was sworn in.

Over the weekend, Sharon told CNN that he was aware of the suffering Palestinians say the blockades have caused them -- but reiterated his position that there can be no peace negotiations until the violence ends.

"There is a famous saying, 'It's hard to be a Jew,'" Sharon said. "It's also hard to be a Palestinian. I know that. I would like to take all those steps, but first of all it should be quiet."

Sharon said he sent a message to Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat, telling him that he would "like very much to ease the conditions" of Palestinians.

Sharon said Barak made a "major mistake" in negotiating with the Palestinians while violent clashes were erupting between Israelis and Palestinians. He said Barak made too many concessions and Israel became "weaker and weaker."

Arab League pledge aid to Palestinians

The current round of violence began last September, after a difficult summer that saw the collapse of trilateral peace talks between Barak, Arafat and then-U.S. President Bill Clinton at Camp David, Maryland.

The Palestine Red Crescent counts 382 Palestinians dead in Gaza and the West Bank since the uprising began. Israeli authorities have said that 65 Israelis Jews and 13 Israeli Arabs have been killed.

In Cairo, Egypt, the Arab League called for an international force to protect Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority is said to be in a financial crisis prompted by the closure of the territories. A draft statement leaked to reporters at the summit says that Arab League members will provide the Palestinian Authority $40 million a month for the next six months.

However, in the past, the league members have had a poor record on delivering on their promises. Last October, league members pledged $1 billion in aid to the Palestinians, but Palestinian officials said only $10 million had been received.

CNN Cairo Bureau Chief Ben Wedeman and Correspondent Jerrold Kessel contributed to this report.

Israeli-Palestinian clashes intensify
Europe backs peace in Mideast
Sharon: Violence must stop before meeting Arafat
Bomb kills 4 in Israeli resort
Israeli forces kill Gazan Palestinian

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Palestinian National Authority
Israeli Prime Minister's Office

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.