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Bethlehem Siege Drags On As Talks Fail Again
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An Israeli tank points its gun at achurch of the Nativity gate. |
BETHLEHEM, West Bank, April 28 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – With Israel refusing all possible ways of ending what came to be known as “the Nativity Crisis”, a fifth round of talks Sunday failed to find a way to end the 27-day-old Israeli siege of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity. The Palestinians trapped inside accused Israel of trying to wear them into submitting.
"So far we reached no solution," chief Palestinian negotiator Salah al-Taamari said, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
However, he added, "We agreed on some kinds of principles to clarify our disagreements."
Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced another round of talks with Palestinian negotiators would be held Sunday night in a fresh bid to end the standoff at the Church of the Nativity.
"We are discussing a variety of constructive ideas, which, I hope, will enable us to reach an agreement as soon as possible," Captain Sharon Feingold told reporters at the Har Gilo army base in the West Bank, near Bethlehem.
Palestinian and Israeli negotiators met for four-and-a-half hours in their fifth round of discussions on the siege of the church. Some 200 Palestinian resistance activists are holed up, 30 of them are wanted by Israel, along with a number of clergy and civilians.
Israel proposed that those inside accept trial in an Israeli court or exile in another country, but the Palestinians refused the offer, suggesting instead that they be transported to the Gaza Strip.
"The Israelis say they are negotiating but in fact they are playing for time," one of the Palestinians in the church, one of Christianity's holiest sites, told AFP by telephone.
He accused Israeli snipers posted on rooftops and in windows all around Bethlehem's Manger Square of firing on everything that moved in and around the church and its surrounding compound.
He said the troops had equipment to detect movements, and a gun set up in armored capsule suspended from a crane. An airship is also permanently hovering over the church.
While the talks were continuing Sunday, an AFP photographer saw an outburst of firing in the area, without being able to determine its origin.
Such shooting incidents occur daily, including one on Wednesday when some 40 journalists were with the negotiators on Manger Square. An Israeli soldier was wounded along with two Palestinians, one of whom later died.
An 18-year-old Palestinian was seriously wounded in the back by Israeli fire on Saturday, sources inside the church said, and two more were hit on Friday.
All three were evacuated from the building and taken to hospital.
A number of monks, priests and civilians have also been able to leave the church, including nine young Palestinians evacuated on Thursday under an agreement with the Israelis.
Four members of the Palestinian security sources also surrendered to the Israelis on Friday.
The Israeli army claims there are wanted (resistance activists) "terrorists" inside the church, holding clergy hostage, while it refuses to supply the names of those it is seeking.
It also claims not to be targeting "holy places", though a spokesman said Friday that "troops came under fire from the church and responded, wounding two terrorists".
But gunmen are not the only casualties: on April 12 the army admitted wounding an Armenian monk in a monastery next to the church.
Israel rejects Palestinian accusations that it is trying to starve the Palestinians out by denying them food.
It has been a week since the first unverifiable reports that food and water had run out.
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