The Hindu : Israeli soldiers surround church

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 04, 2002

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Israeli soldiers surround church

Israeli soldiers taking positions near the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem where Palestinian gunmen are said to be holed up. — AFP

Bethlehem April 3. Scores of Palestinian gunmen were hiding inside one of Christianity's holiest shrines _ Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity _ today, seeking refuge from Israeli troops, helicopters and tanks that invaded the city as part of an offensive aimed at crushing the Palestinian militia in the West Bank. The bodies of four gunmen, shot dead on Tuesday, remained sprawled on a side street near the church this morning, with rescue services unable to reach them or other casualties because of constant firing. A tank was stationed at the edge of Manger Square, adjacent to the church, the Army said. The Mayor of Bethlehem, Hana Nasser, said soldiers had occupied the municipality building overlooking the square and the church.

At the Church of the Nativity _ built over the traditional birthplace of Jesus _ priests were forced to give refuge to Palestinian police and militiamen, who shot their way in on Tuesday after running battles with Israeli troops firing from helicopter gunships and from tank-mounted machine guns.

The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, remained confined to his ruined Ramallah headquarters surrounded by Israeli tanks even as the United Nations agency responsible for Palestinian refugees said thousands of people all over the West Bank towns and villages were facing food and water scarcity.

- PTI

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