Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian motorcyclist on Saturday at a roadblock near a West Bank refugee camp, according to Palestinian security and medical officials.
An Israeli army source said troops shot the man in the leg after he turned his motorcycle around and tried to drive
away from the spot-checkpoint near Askar refugee camp
outside Nablus, ignoring shouts to stop and warning
shots.
However, doctors at the Rafadiyeh Hospital in Nablus said Mohammed Shukri Hamad, aged 20, was shot in the chest and died.
Later, Israeli fire killed another Palestinian civilian in Khan Yunis, located in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources reported.
Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders Saturday welcomed Israeli offers to resume peace talks, but said any negotiations must come with efforts to stop violence and halt settlement building in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei also signaled Saturday that he was not opposed to a meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, although none was immediately forthcoming, and confirmed that there were contacts between the two sides.
Asked about the possibility he would hold talks with Sharon, Qurei told reporters: "We are not against [it]." "We have not studied the issue of a meeting, but there are contacts with the Israelis," said Qurei. (Albawaba.com)
