Palestinians briefly take over Israeli checkpoint

Palestinian demonstrators try to knock over cement blocks used by the Israeli army to protect a checkpoint north of Ramallah on Wednesday

In this story: Israeli Arab legislators protest 19-year-old killed in Gaza RELATED STORIES, SITES

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinians protesting the continued blockade of the West Bank town of Ramallah by Israeli troops briefly took over a minor checkpoint on Wednesday, planting a Palestinian flag.

Israeli soldiers, who had been nearby in their military vehicles, moved in firing rubber-coated steel bullets, and the Palestinians retreated.

The soldiers also used tear gas to push back the Palestinians, who lobbed rocks at them. At least three Palestinians were injured, The Associated Press reported.

Before the Israelis returned to the roadblock, the Palestinians filled in trenches in the road and briefly allowed traffic to pass.

VIDEO Jewish settlers are confident Sharon will help them. CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney reports (March 14) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    TIMELINES Recent acts of violence in the Middle East:  • Bombings  • Activist deaths    RESOURCES Profiles of members of the new Israeli government Composition of the Israeli parliament    ALSO Controversial Powell statements blamed on slip of the tongue

"We broke the Israeli siege with our hands and it is a message to (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon that the siege will not kill the Intifada," said Marwan Barghouti, a leader of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, during the short time the Palestinians controlled the checkpoint.

Sharon was sworn in as Israel's prime minister last week after soundly trouncing former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Sharon said Barak was too lenient with the Palestinians and vowed to shore up Israel's security before joining further negotiations with the Israelis' perennial adversaries.

Israeli Arab legislators protest

Meanwhile, at the much larger Qalandia checkpoint on the road between Ramallah and Jerusalem, 11 Arab members of the Israeli Knesset slammed Sharon's policy of tightening restrictions on Palestinian towns the Israelis deem potentially dangerous.

"The crime of the Israelis is against the Palestinians," said Knesset member Hashem Machmid. "It's a crime that causes the Palestinians hunger and death. They were standing here, stopped by the Israelis waiting to get to the doctor, to the clinic. Children are waiting to go to school, it is just a crime against the Palestinian people."

Sharon ordered the restrictions on Ramallah strengthened on Sunday after the Israeli army reported receiving information that would-be car bombers were operating in the town.

At the same time, Sharon said he would ease restrictions on Palestinian towns that remain calm.

But Jibril Rajoub, the Palestinian chief of security in the West Bank, told The Associated Press that the Israelis made up the story about the bomb threat to justify its closure of Ramallah.

19-year-old killed in Gaza

Elsewhere, Palestinian officials said an 19-year-old was shot in the back and killed by Israeli troops near Karni Crossing in Gaza, and a 48-year old woman suffered a stroke and died at a checkpoint near the West Bank town of Jenin.

A bulldozer clears a blockade outside the West Bank town of Ramallah

The Israel Defense Forces had no immediate comment on either report.

The death of 19-year-old Ahmed Banar, said by Palestinian police to have been an unprovoked shooting -- brought the death toll in nearly six months of violence to 383 Palestinians, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

Israeli officials say that 65 Israeli Jews and 13 Israeli Arabs have also been killed.

Thousands have been injured in the clashes, which have also wrecked some homes and other buildings.

The International Red Cross said it had provided tents to nine Palestinian families in Gaza who it said had their homes destroyed by Israeli forces.

"These people have been left without homes, so they are in bad need of assistance," said Dorothea Krimitsas of the Red Cross. "The aim is to assist them today; it is an emergency case."

EU pressures Israel on blockades
March 13, 2001
Palestinian killed in blockade clash
March 12, 2001
Israel rules out immediate talks
March 11, 2001

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

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.