Arabic/Eng

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are stocking up on gas masks in case of an Iraqi attack on Israel.

But Palestinian leaders say they are confident they will not be harmed if the tensions in the Gulf turn to war.

Nevertheless, U-S pressure has moved the Palestinian Authority to enforce a new ban on pro-Iraq rallies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Wednesday.

This time they will be prepared.

Israelis are joining huge lines in order to get their gas masks in case of a possible Iraqi attack on Israel.

The masks for these Israelis are free.

But, so far - no provisions have been made for the more than 250-thousand foreign workers in Israel and the some 60-thousand Palestinians in the West Bank who remain under Israeli occupation.

Hazem Salah - a Palestinian who lives in the West Bank city of Hebron - decided to dig out his dusty gas masks from a store room - just in case.

They are preparing their children for the worst - trying on the old gas masks and wrinkled anti-chemical suits.

For Salah, the thought of war or a possible Iraqi attack on Israel - fills him with a sense of uneasiness.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

\"If Saddam decides to hit Israel, we will be locked in sealed rooms too. We will wear gas masks and chemical suits as well, that is why I am against America attacking Iraq or Iraq hitting Israel.\"

SUPERCAPTION: Hazem Salah, Palestinian

But Salah is not the only Palestinian preparing for a possible attack by Iraq.

In Nablus, students are being given courses on how to put on gas masks and how to behave in case of any bombing or attack.

Despite the rush to be prepared, the Head of the Palestinian Civil Defense Mahmoud Abu Marzouk says there is no urgent need for Palestinians to prepare for a possible war.

Abu Marzouk, is sure that if Iraq decides to attack Israel, they will not target the West Bank or the Gaza Strip where most Palestinians live.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

\"We are not capable of distributing gas masks, we will not be harmed because Iraq will treat us like their own people, if Iraq hit they will know their target\"

SUPERCAPTION: Mahmoud Abu Marzouk, Head of the Palestinian Civil

Defence

Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement this week had organised several pro-Iraq rallies in the West Bank in which marchers burned U-S flags and chanted \"Dear Saddam, attack Tel Aviv.\"

During the 1991 Gulf War, Arafat openly sided with Saddam Hussein, a decision that prompted the expulsion of tens of thousands of Palestinians from Gulf countries.

On Wednesday however, the Palestinian Authority bent to U-S pressure and banned any future rallies.

Hanan Ashrawi minister of Higher Education in the Palestinian authority said that the U-S-Iraqi crisis will be resolved diplomatically.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

\"We are confident that the chances of Iraqi strikes against Israel are very slim indeed\"

SUPERCAPTION: Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian High Education Minister

There is concern that Saddam will attack Israel with Scud missiles in the event of a U-S military strike against Iraq.

U-N weapons inspectors have said that Saddam has enough biological weapons to wipe out Tel Aviv.

In the Gulf War, Saddam fired 39 Scud missiles at Israel.

Most landed in the coastal area of central Tel Aviv, but some also fell in the West Bank as the Scuds are not very accurate.

Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, Ramallah, West Bank, Gaza City, Gaza Strip and Tel Aviv, Israel, 9 - 11 February 1998

Tel Aviv, Israel February 11 1998

1. Long shot of Israelis waiting outside Gas distribution centre

2. Pan of Israeli on line

3. Israeli women sitting with gas mask box

Hebron, West Bank 9 February 1998

4. Salah's family trying suit on their son

5. Salah's daughter Hiba in gas mask

6. Salah's wife Lina putting gas mask for husband

7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Hazem Salah

Nablus, West Bank February 10 1998

8. Long shot of students at exercise

9. Student trying gas mask

Gaza City, Gaza Strip February 9 1998

10. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Mahmoud Abu Marzouk, Head of Palestinian Defence

Jenin, West Bank February 9 1998

11. Palestinians with Iraqi flags and Saddam's posters

Ramallah, West Bank February 9 1998

12. Set-up shot Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian minister of Higher Education

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hanan Ashrawi

Hebron, West Bank February 11 1998

14. Iraqi flag

15. Palestinian man with family holding Saddam picture pull out to building

English/Nat

Israel sealed off the West Bank Wednesday.

The move follows warnings that Palestinian guerrillas were planning a series of attacks in Israel.

Israeli soldiers stationed at the West Bank stopped cars and checked the identity cards of people wishing to cross into or out of Israel.

More than one (m) million Palestinians live in the West Bank.

The closure will prevent about half of them from reaching their jobs - as well as leaving others like this Jordanian stuck in the West Bank.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"I cannot get into Jerusalem. I don't know what's the problem, I have no idea.

Q: You're stuck in the West Bank?

Yes, I had to leave my car and come walking to get into Israel."

SUPER CAPTION: Motav Hamori, Jordanian

Israelis too, were barred from entering Palestinian controlled areas in the West Bank.

People queued in cars while the checks were carried out.

Tension soared in the West Bank last month when Israel began construction on a Jewish housing project in East Jerusalem.

Bethlehem, West Bank & Al-Ram checkpoint, West Bank, Israel, 16 April 1997

Bethlehem, West Bank:

1. Long shot of roadblock.

2. Israeli flag.

3. Israeli soldiers checking identity cards

4. Palestinian going back.

5. Various of soldiers at roadblock.

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Motav Hamori, Jordanian man

Al Ram, Checkpoint:

7. Various of Israeli soldiers at roadblock, checking cars and people

8. Long line of cars at checkpoint.

English/Nat

Palestinian leaders attacked on Thursday a plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for dividing control of the West Bank.

Yasser Arafat said the Israeli plan, unveiled Wednesday, flies in the face of the Oslo peace agreement.

At the Aram Checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank - security is tight.

This checkpoint and the Alon Road is one section of the border between Israeli and Palestinian territory.

Currently the Palestinians have control over 40 per cent of the West Bank - Israel occupied this land during the 1967 Six Day War.

As formally agreed between Yasser Arafat and then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1993 - the two sides would negotiate over the so called "final status" of the region by 1999.

Palestinians want total control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to create a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On Wednesday - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu moved to bypass the final status negotiations - presenting a plan to his cabinet on how the region should be divided.

The media has dubbed it the "The Alon Plus Plan" - comparing it with a proposal given to the Israeli government in 1968 by then Deputy Prime Minister Yigal Alon.

Under Netanyahu's blueprint - Israel would retain West Bank land surrounding Jerusalem, including the Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim east of the city.

It would also annex the Jordan Valley and large settlement blocs, including Gush Etzion south of Jerusalem.

Israel would also seek to retain control over major West Bank roads and over water sources.

If implemented, the plan would leave the Palestinians with disconnected patches of land that would make it very difficult to establish a state.

But spokesman for Netanyahu, David Bar Illan, says the plan represents a major concession from Netanyahu's right wing Likud party.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"This Alon Plus plan represents a tremendous adjustment of expectations on the part of the Likud party - the dominant party in the ruling coalition today. Because for the first time in its history, it admits that there will be another entity between Jordan and the sea - something that it was not willing to admit before."

SUPER CAPTION: David Bar Illan, Netanyahu's spokesman

But for Palestinians - the plan is totally unacceptable.

They view Israel's control of parts of the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal - part of the 1967 occupation that is thwarting their dream of a Palestinian State.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"For me as a Palestinian it is very difficult to understand this because we are occupied territory - all of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and it must be Palestine there. And as a Palestinian we refute this thing - all of it."

SUPER CAPTION: Voxpop

Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority, says the plan goes against the 1993 Oslo agreement.

Under that agreement - control of disputed territories must be negotiated - not stipulated by any one side.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"This is completely against the peace process and against the agreements."

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, President of Palestinian Authority

Netanyahu's plan comes more than two months after talks between the two sides broke down when Israel began constructing Jewish settlements in disputed East Jerusalem.

Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza - June 5, 1997

Jerusalem and West Bank border:

1. Various of Aram Checkpoint near Jerusalem and West Bank

2. Various of Alon Road - border of West Bank and Jerusalem

3. Pan of Alon Road

Jerusalem

4. Mid Shot of David Bar Illan

5. David Bar Illan, Israeli PM Netanyahu's spokesman

6. Various of map of Israel and West Bank

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Voxpop

Gaza:

8. Pan of Yasser Arafat at military parade

9. Mid shot Palestinian Flag - pan to Arafat

10. Various of Arafat walking up red carpet

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Yasser Arafat, President of Palestinian Authority

12. Arafat walks away

Hebrew/Eng/Nat

The ruling Likud party in Israel has begun building more Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

And it has now announced the plan to construct new roads in the areas, prompting condemnation from Palestinians and left wing Israelis.

In the first indication of the new Israeli government's settlement policies, hard-line Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon ordered two new highways to be built in the West bank.

The plan calls for one road leading from the West Bank into northern Jerusalem and a second linking central Israel with Jewish settlements inside the West Bank, where some 140-thousand Jews live among 1-point-2 million Palestinians.

The plan, expected to cost about 50 (m) million dollars (U-S), was originally proposed under the previous Labour government, but was never carried out.

SOUNDBITE: Hebrew

We are working according to plan. I know that yesterday everyone got nervous. I don't why they got nervous.

SUPER CAPTION: Ariel Sharon, Minister for Infrastructure

The move has angered Palestinians who want to establish a state in the West bank and Gaza. They say expanding settlements violates the Israel-PLO peace accords and could bring the precarious peace process to a grinding halt.

On Tuesday the Palestinian Legislative Council held a special session to discuss the issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and around Jerusalem.

Palestinians predict violence and bloodshed.

SOUNDBITE:

When they are going to confiscate my future, my water, my land. What does this mean? It's a declaration of war and war means a bloodbath.

SUPER CAPTION: Freih Abu Medein, Palestinian Justice Minister.

Israel's past government curbed settlement construction, except around Jerusalem, in order to open the doors for peace negotiations with the Palestinians.

The Israel-PLO peace agreement says neither side will "initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip," pending the outcome of final status talks.

The Palestinians say that rules out new settlement construction or expansion.

Peace Now, a group that supports the Middle East peace process, warned against the dangers of Israel building more settlements in the West Bank and Gaza.

SOUNDBITE:

"There can be no doubt that the settlements have been always and

will be in the future an obstacle for any peace solution. The only solution that can exist between Israel and the Palestinians is to partition this land into two different sovereignties. The Palestinians will need a certain area where they will have their own sovereignty.

SUPER CAPTION: Mordechai Baron, Peace Now member

Sharon, a leader of the hardline right-wing faction in the governing Likud Party, oversaw a massive construction drive in the settlements when he was housing minister from 1990-1992.

Last year, as part of the Oslo peace accords and under the previous government, rural areas of the West Bank were passed to Palestinian control, while Israel maintained overall responsibility for security throughout most of the West Bank.

West Bank, Tel Aviv, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, 30th July 1996

Beit Jalah, West Bank

1. CU village/zoom out to GV construction of highway overpass

2. construction workers on road

3. bulldozers working on construction

4. by-pass road

Tel Aviv:

5. Infrastructure Minister Ariel Sharon at presser table

6. Minister Sharon showing new roads on map

7. Minister Sharon SOT (Hebrew)

Efrat, West Bank

8. various construction site

Bethlehem:

9. GV Manger Square, central Bethlehem

10. outside mosque

11. inside Palestinian Council meeting

12. various of members in meeting

13. laptop computer showing Jerusalem and area

14. Khalil Tufakji, Palestinian settlement expert, showing Israeli construction plans in the West Bank

15. GV Palestinian Council

16. SOUNDBITE: Freih Abu Modein, Minister of Justice

Jerusalem:

17. set up Mordechai Baron, Peace Now member

18. SOUNDBITE: Mordechai Baron

Efrat, West bank:

19. Israeli flag over settlement

20. construction

Arabic/Eng

For Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the dream of an independent Palestinian state draws ever closer.

He insists that such a state will be declared next May, a step which the Israelis caution him against taking.

As the deadline draws ever nearer, new evidence of Palestinian statehood -- from state postage stamps and licence plates to state ministries are becoming apparent.

Over the past four years, Palestinians have slowly built up a political entity that looks very much like a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Five years after he entered the historic process of compromise with Israel, the tired leader of Palestinian nationalism, Yasser Arafat, intends to reach his goal.

He is demanding an independent Palestinian state not just in words, but in reality.

Yasser Arafat, who has the title of president of the Palestinian Authority, is promising to make it official at midnight on May 4, 1999.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

'There will be no peace, no security, and stability only with the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem its capital, whether they like or not, whether they like it or not, whether they like it or not.'

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader

There is already a 30-thousand-member police force in training and patrolling the border lines with Israel and the streets of the Palestinian self-rule areas.

A Palestinian passport has been issued and Israeli licence plates have been replaced with Palestinian ones.

There are also now Palestinian stamps.

But Israel has already hinted that if the Palestinians declare statehood on their own, it might annex large tracts in the West Bank, where the Palestinians govern only 27 percent of the land.

Israeli Prime Minister top advisor David Bar Illan says Israel will retaliate if the Palestinians declare their own state.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

'It must be clearly understood that once the Palestinian scuttle the agreement by declaring a state, Israel will have to protect itself from the consequences of such acts and it will have to take unilateral actions to afford itself this kind of protection.'

SUPER CAPTION: David Bar Illan, Netanyahu top aide to Benjamin Netanyahu

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has his own ministers that meet weekly and discuss Palestinian affairs.

The Palestinian flag already flies outside ornate Palestinian ministries in the West

Bank and Gaza Strip.

Some believe Arafat is using the statehood card to create a crisis in hopes of a diplomatic rescue from the United States.

Palestinian political analyst Ali Jirbawi believes that if Arafat can guarantee support from countries supportive of the peace process, he should go ahead and declare his independent state.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

'If we can secure recognition for the state from countries which are important in this peace process, like the United States of America then I think we shall go ahead and announce it.'

SUPER CAPTION: Palestinian political analyst

Arafat, who expects more than 100 nations to recognise a Palestinian state, hopes international backing will hold Israel in check and prevent reprisals.

He has already begun his international campaign with an effort in the United Nations to upgrade the observer status the Palestinians have now.

Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron, Gaza City, Gaza Strip, Jericho, Jerusalem --1-5 July 1998 and file

Ramallah, West Bank, 4 July 1998

1. Various of streets in Ramallah

2. Palestinian policemen talking

3. People walking in street

Bethlehem, West Bank, 30 June 1998

4. Yasser Arafat laying corner stone for a new hotel

5. Arafat pounding on stone

Ramallah, West Bank, 1 July 1998

6. Arafat walking into Palestinian council

7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Palestinian chairman Yasser Arafat

Jericho, West Bank 17 May 1998

8. Palestinian police marching

9. Palestinian police graduation march

Gaza City 5 July 1998

10. Palestinian police officer talking on radio

11. Palestinian policemen in car patrol

12. Palestinian policeman directing traffic

13. An application for a Palestinian passport

14. Picture on computer screen for passport application, pan to passport being printed

15. Palestinian passport coming out of printer

Hebron, West Bank 3 July 1998

17. Palestinian removes Israeli licence plate off car

18. Palestinian plate being printed

19. Cover being peeled off plate

20. Close shot Post Office sign

21. Palestinian woman buying stamps

22. Close shot Palestinian stamp

23. Close shot woman writing address on letter

24. Stamp being stuck to letter

25. Woman putting letter in mail box

Jerusalem, 2 July 1998

26. Set-up shot of David Bar Illan, Netanyahu's adviser

27. SOUNDBITE: (English) David Bar Illan, Senior Aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu

Hebron, West Bank 4 July 1998

28. Arafat heading Palestinian cabinet

Gaza City, 5 July 1998

29. Exterior of Palestinian finance ministry

30. Sign of the Palestinian finance ministry

31. exterior of interior ministry

Ramallah, West Bank, 4 July 1998

32. Set-up shot Ali Jirbawi, Palestinian political expert

33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ali Jirbawi, Palestinian political expert

Hebron, West Bank, File 19 January 1997

34. Arafat waving to crowd

35. Thousands of Palestinian cheering Arafat

36. Arafat giving the victory sign to crowd

Arabic/Nat

Two Palestinians have reportedly been injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank town of Hebron on Sunday.

Palestinians threw stones at Israeli troops despite reports that Israel could agree to a U-S proposed pullback in the West Bank.

The head of Palestinian General Intelligence organisation said unless the Israelis honoured the agreements they have signed, there would be no hope of controlling the violence.

Palestinians and Israeli soldiers confronted each other in Hebron again on Sunday.

For the fourth day running, Palestinian youths threw stones and bottles at Israeli soldiers who responded with rubber-coated metal bullets.

Two Palestinians were reported wounded during the clashes, which have raged against the backdrop of a stalled Middle East peace process.

The violence comes amid reports in the Israeli media that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could accept a modified U-S proposal for troop withdrawals if it was divided into two separate pullbacks.

That would mean an initial withdrawal from 9 percent of the West Bank followed a year later by a further 2 percent.

But Palestinians have already said they wouldn't accept such an offer.

They point to earlier U-S promises not to water down their original position.

In the earlier proposal, the U-S wanted Israel to withdraw from 13 point 1 percent of the Palestinian land it currently occupies.

The latest violence started on Thursday when Palestinians marked the 50th anniversary of the "nakba" - or catastrophe - when they were expelled from their homes when Israel was founded.

On Thursday, at least six Palestinians were killed and scores injured in clashes with Israeli forces.

The head of the Palestinian General Intelligence in the West Bank said on Sunday that the Palestinian police were trying everything to ease the tensions. But much of the blame for the confrontations remained with the Israelis.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

"The Palestinian police are trying to do all that's possible to avoid confrontation with the Israeli soldiers who always try to provoke."

SUPER CAPTION: Tawfik Tirawi, head of Palestinian General Intelligence in West Bank

Tirawi said that the Israelis must honour previous agreements or else there is no hope of controlling the violence.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

"If the policy of the Israeli government remains with such stubbornness and the economic situation remains desperate and there is no implementation of the agreements there will be more violence."

SUPER CAPTION: Tawfik Tirawi, head of Palestinian General Intelligence in West Bank

Tirawi was speaking at his office in the West Bank city of Jericho after attending a graduation ceremony of nearly 160 Palestinian policemen.

Hebron and Jericho, West Bank, 17 May 1998

Hebron

1. Israeli soldier chasing Palestinian protesters

2. Cutaway of Israeli soldier shooting

3. Protesters throwing stones at soldiers

4. Soldiers aiming gun

5. Soldiers firing tear gas

6. Palestinian throwing fire bomb

Jericho

7. Establisher of Tirawi, Head of Palestinian General Intelligence in West Bank

8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Tawfik Tirawi, Head of Palestinian General Intelligence in the West Bank

9. Cutaway

10. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Tawfik Tirawi, Head of Palestinian General Intelligence in the West Bank

11. Exterior of Tirawi office

Arabic/Eng/Nat

Palestinian officials have denied Israeli claims that they recently released two Palestinians who had been jailed for the murder of two Israeli hikers.

It's part of a bigger row over what Israel calls the "revolving door" prison policy of the Palestinian Authority.

Israel says this policy means militants get locked up for a while so the Palestinians can say they're getting tough on security, and then released.

Also, Israel wants some imprisoned Palestinians extradited as part of any troop pullout.

Here in the West Bank town of Jericho, a jailer unlocks the heavy security doors leading into one of the prisons controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

In this cell -- Shaher and Yousef Rai, two Palestinians on Israel's "most wanted" list, sit on a steel-framed bed, chain-smoking.

In the corner of the four-man cell, Shaher has hung pictures of his two daughters and of his heroes - a Hamas bomb maker and Cuban revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

They're at the centre of a row with Israel -- in more ways than one.

The two cousins were jailed -- by the Palestinians -- for the murder of two Israeli hikers in a desert ravine near Jericho in July 1995.

Israel has accused the two of being the killers.

Israel has a list of more than 30 jailed Palestinians they suspect have killed or attacked Israelis and who they want handed over.

It's been made a condition of any Israeli troop pullback from the West Bank.

But the Palestinians have said they would prosecute suspects, but never extradite them to Israel.

Shaher claims he's innocent and is just being held to keep the Israelis happy.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

"I am innocent, Israel just wants to make political achievements from the Palestinian authority, I am here because Netanyahu said he wants us to be here in jail and that is why the Palestinians are keeping us here."

SUPER CAPTION: Shaher Rai, prisoner

And Israel has accused the Palestinian Authority of letting these, and other prisoners, out of jail.

The so-called "revolving door" policy means the Palestinians round-up militants to prove they're cracking down on violence - and then release them, says Israel.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"They were first released and gone free, now that we have mentioned it by name the Palestinian authority has returned them to jail, this is one example of the revolving door policy about terrorists, murderers who should be tried and incarcerated for life."

SUPER CAPTION: David Bar-Illan, Netanyahu advisor

Palestinian officials say anyway, Israel has no right to even demand such extraditions.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"It's clear that this request, in particular the handover of Palestinian prisoners is not only illegal, it violates the agreement. So long as they are within the jurisdiction of the Palestinian judiciary and so long as they are being tried within the Palestinian legal system Israel has no right to demand their handover."

SUPER CAPTION: Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian minister of Higher Education

Prison officials said that Rai hasn't left the Palestinian jail since his arrest more than two years ago.

True or not, the whole issue is being used by Israel to show that the Palestinians can't be trusted on security matters and therefore shouldn't be entitled to more West Bank land.

Jericho, West Bank, Jerusalem, Ramallah, West Bank, Wadi Kelt, West Bank, February 03 and 04, 1998 and FILE

Jericho, West Bank:

1. Palestinian policeman opening door of prison, leads cameraman in

2. Tilt down from enclosed roof of prison to prisoners walking in the prison court

3. Shaher and Yousef Rai, cousins in their cell with poster of Che Guevara on the wall

Wadi Kelt, West Bank, July 18th 1995:

4. Zoom in to Israeli soldiers carrying body of Israeli on stretcher

5. Long shot of Israeli soldiers carrying bodies on stretchers

Jericho, West Bank:

6. Shaher and Yousef Rai getting out of their cell

7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Shaher Rai, prisoner

8. Close up of Yousef Rai smoking, zoom out to the cousins sitting on a bed

9. Palestinian policeman standing by gate of prison

Jerusalem:

10. Establishing shot of Netanyahu's advisor David Bar-Illan

11. SOUNDBITE: (English) David Bar- Illan, Netanyahu advisor

Ramallah, West Bank:

12. Establishing shot of Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian minister of Higher Education

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian minister of Higher Education

Jericho, West Bank:

14. Various of the Rai cousins in jail cell

15. Close up of one of the prisoners in the courtyard, pulls out to show bars and prison door

Natural Sound

The President of the European Parliament, Klaus Haensch, has strongly criticised Israeli plans to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

His comments came in an address to the Palestinian Legislative Council in the West Bank town of Ramallah Wednesday.

In Nablus, thousands of supporters from the Islamic Fundamentalist group Hamas held a rally in memory of the Palestinians killed in riots this September.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, meeting World Bank officials in Paris, said despite the setbacks, his people are still committed to a peaceful solution in the Middle East.

Supporters of the fundamentalist group of Hamas, held a memorial rally in the West Bank city of Nablus Wednesday, to commemorate the death of more than 60 Palestinian killed by Israeli soldier during riots in September.

15 Israeli soldiers were also killed.

Hundreds of supporters some chanting Allahu Akbar and some waving Hamas flags turned out for the rally at An-Najah University.

Masked members of Hamas marched through the throng of people carrying an assortment of weapons. Some members of the fundamentalist Islamic group wrapped themselves in white robes -- symbolic death shrouds.

The President of the European Parliament, Klaus Haensch, also arrived Wednesday in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

A ceremonial guard of honour stood to attention outside the Palestinian Legislative Council, where Haensch was greeted by the head of the Council, Ahmed Quriea.

After talks between the two men, Haensch addressed the 88-member council.

In his speech, he strongly criticised the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, describing them as illegal.

Haensch also expressed support for the concept of Palestinian statehood, but said Palestinians must be patient with the faltering peace talks with Israel.

The E-U is the main source of financial support for the Palestinian autonomous government, providing more than seven (m) million U-S dollars in aid since 1993.

Meanwhile, in Paris, the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met World Bank officials, seeking financial support for his battered economy.

The economic situation of Palestinians has worsened in the past year after the closure of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank last February - unemployment has risen from 11 to 23 percent.

To ease the Palestinian woes, donor nations pledged more than 845 (m) million dollars.

The money, to be released in 1997 will be used to create jobs, rebuild the Palestinian territories' roads and utilities.

Arafat reiterated his commitment to the peace process in the Middle East.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"In spite of all these difficulties we are committed to the peace process, and we will continue to be committed to the peace process."

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader

Earlier in the day Arafat met with the French Premier Alain Juppe and thanked France for its continued support in the peace negotiations.

Nablus and Ramallah, West Bank, and Paris, France - 20 November 1996

Nablus, West Bank:

1. Wide shot of rally at An-Najah University

2. Mid shot of rally

3. Wide shot of rally with people carrying a line of flags

4. Mid shot of drummers

5. High shot of people gathered at rally

6. Close-up of crowd

7. Mid shot of banner

8. Various shot of Hamas members with their heads covered

9. Various shots of members carrying guns

10. Mid shot of children waving flags

11. Mid shot of women and children in crowd

12. Close-up of covered Hamas men holding guns

Ramallah, West Bank:

7. Exterior of Palestinian Legislative Council

8. High shot of Palestinian soldiers lined up

9. Wide shot of European Parliament speaker Klaus Haensch convoy arriving

10. Haensch met by Head of Palestinian Legislative Council Ahmed Quriea

11. Wide shot of Haensch and Ahmed Quriea

12. Mid shot of Haensch

13. Mid shot of Ahmed Quriea

14. Close up of Haensch and Ahmed Quriea

15. Haensch and Ahmed Quriea enter the council

16. Wide shot of Palestinian members of the council

17. Mid shot of Haensch and Ahmed Quriea on stage

18. Close up of Haensch

Paris, France:

19. Exterior of World Bank

20. Arafat entering conference hall

21. Wide shot conference hall

22. SOUNDBITE: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian Leader

23. Wide pan of conference room

24. Arafat arrives to meet Juppe

25. Wide shot Arafat and Juppe

26. Mid shot of same

27. Wide shot exterior of Juppe's office

English/Nat

Thousands of Israelis including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have attended the funeral of two Israelis killed in a car attack on Wednesday near the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Fifteen people have now been arrested in connection with the attack carried out by the Palestinian militant faction, The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

And in the West bank City of Bethlehem, a rally was held at Bethlehem University to mark the 28th anniversary of the groups foundation.

Thousands of Israelis turned out for Thursday's funeral.

Among the participants at the funeral was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his government.

He watched as their bodies, wrapped with burial shawls, were brought to the grave site and lowered into the ground.

Eeta Tzur, 42, and her 12-year-old son Efraim were killed in a drive-by terrorist shooting in the West Bank on Wednesday.

Mrs. Tzur's husband, Yoel, and four of their other children were also hurt in the attack.

Settlers are demanding that Israeli troops enter the Palestinian city to find the killers.

Netanyahu is demanding the Palestinian authority bring the culprits to justice.

He said Israel will not stand for such attacks nor will terrorists manage to uproot the Jewish people from their homes.

SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew)

\"They attacked women and children on purpose, they attacked on purpose not only in order to kill an Israeli family, but with an aim to uproot us from this place. And so our first response to these murderers, to these monsters, our first response of the Israeli government and the Israeli people is that we are staying here. We are building here. We live here. you will not uproot us from here, you will not achieve your aim.\"

SUPER CAPTION: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

Meanwhile in response to the attack, security measures have been stepped up in the West Bank.

In the village of Surda just near where the killings took place a curfew has been imposed.

israeli soldiers check Palestinians ID cards and no car can pass through an army checkpoint without Israeli permission.

In Ramallah the head of the Palestinian-Israeli Liaison office Colonel Yousef Kafarneh has reacted to the killings.

He said that the Palestinian side had taken some steps to finding the culprits and detained few suspects.

15 activists of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were arrested in Ramallah Thursday.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

\"We did a security check in the all suspects according to our lists, and we arrested some for questioning, some from the PFLP and some from other factions\"

SUPER CAPTION: Col. Yousef Kafarneh, Head of the Palestinian-Israeli liaison office in Ramallah

The Palestinian Legislative Council has also reacted to the attack.

Although the council condemns the violence, Palestinians feel it is a backlash from the continued troubles in the area.

But the Palestinian Authority agrees that the shooting will hurt Palestinian interests.

SOUNDBITE:

Firstly we condemn such acts of violence that is against women and children, against civilians in general. But on the other hand it is the result of everything that has been taking place over the last couple of months.

SUPER CAPTION: Marawan Kanafani, Arafat spokesman

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine has now claimed responsibility for the attack.

They are a militant P-L-O group that opposes the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements.

Wednesday marked the 28th anniversary of the founding of the group, which has carried out several similar shootings in the past two years.

And to mark the occasion they staged a march through Bethlehem.

Masked members of the PFLP marched in the University, holding red flags and banners calling for armed struggles against Israel.

The shooting comes at a time of deep distrust between Netanyahu's hard-line government and the Palestinian Authority.

Talks on an overdue Israeli troop pullback in the West Bank town of Hebron are deadlocked - Netanyahu says he is concerned about the safety of Jewish residents in the settlements.

This incident may serve only to hinder troop redeployment in the settlements.

Surda, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Bet El, West Bank 12th December 1996

Bet El, West Bank

1. LS of Funeral procession

2. Netanyahu arriving

3. Various of crowd at grave

4. People carrying bodies to grave site

5. SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew) Netanyahu

6. Bodies being buried

7. Various of funeral - people crying

Surda Village West Bank

8. LS of Surda

9. Various of Israeli soldiers patrolling village and checking ID cards

Ramallah, West Bank

10. Exterior of Israeli-Palestinian Liaison office

11. Estb. of Col. Yousef Kafarneh

12. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Kafarneh

13. LS of Palestinian Legislative Council

14. Wide of council members entering

15. Estab of Marawan Kanafani, Arafat spokesman

16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Marawan Kanafani

Bethlehem, West Bank

17. Exterior of Bethlehem University

18. Masked PFLP members marching

19. Various of PFLP march

20. Various of PFLP in university hall

Hebrew/English/Nat

In a decisive step towards implementing the Israeli-P-L-O peace accords, the Israeli cabinet decided Wednesday that three Israeli army bases in the West Bank would soon be evacuated, Israel Radio reported.

More than a year has passed since the historic handshake between Israeli Prime-Minister, Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader, Yasser Arafat. Although high hopes were held for a final peace between the two enemies, in practice, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is already far behind schedule.

According to the Oslo Agreement, the two sides should now have entered the second phase, tackling issues such as extending Palestinian authority into other towns on the West Bank, the holding of Palestinian elections and the redeployment of Israeli Army troops.

By July last year the Israeli army was supposed to have been 're-deployed', meaning withdrawn from its positions in or close to Palestinian towns to bases more directly protective of the settlements; and the Palestinians should have held an election.

Despite suicide bombings and violence, both the Israelis and the Palestinians say the process should go ahead and focus is concentrated on the West Bank where Israeli troops are much in evidence.

The hope now is for an election this July but the continued presence of Israeli soldiers in West Bank towns is hampering efforts.

SOUNDBITE:

(English)

"Because it will not be a democratic election. Nobody can agree to have elections under the weapon of the occupation force. That is to say that the agreement is clear and obvious: redeployment and then elections."

SUPER CAPTION: Ahmed Tibi, Arafat advisor

The West Bank is home to more than 2 (m) million Palestinians and 141,000 Jewish settlers.

SOUNDBITE:

(English)

"Tens of settlements should be evacuated during the interim phase because it's a source of friction. Israelis and Palestinians are being killed and shot because of this friction."

SUPER CAPTION: Dr. Ahmed Tibi, Arafat advisor

Since the signing of the Oslo Agreement in September 1993, 20 settlers and four Israeli soldiers have been killed in the West Bank in attacks by Islamic fundamentalists. In January this year, a young settler, Ofra Felix, was killed by gunfire as she and a young child were returning to their home, the settlement of Halamish.

While the settlers' presence effectively means Israeli troops must be there to guard them, it is the same settlers who provide the opportunity for armed Palestinian militants to carry out attacks.

The resulting bloodshed then helps confirm Israeli hardliners' opposition to the whole principle of the peace deal.

In order to prevent further bloodshed, Israeli politicians have begun to consider evacuating some of the settlements.

Any move of this kind will be strongly resisted by extreme right-wing settlers based in towns such as Hebron.

In this West Bank town, a handful of extremist right-wing, religious Jews live behind barricaded doors asserting their religious birthright to dwell in what they claim to be part of the biblical land of Israel.

Settlers are in daily contact with local Palestinian residents but walk through the city heavily armed and usually with army escorts.

SOUNDBITE:

(Hebrew)

"The reality unfortunately is that what we'll see is terror attacks and clashes between Jews and Arabs doubled to what it is today."

SUPER CAPTION: Aharon Dombe, spokesperson for the settler movement, Yesha.

Settlement expansion has caused widespread reactions especially from the Palestinian Authority. Palestinians claim that the settlements are being built on land which they expect to get back as part of a final peace deal with Israel.

They also charge that Israel is creating facts on the ground to avoid relinquishing land once negotiations for a final settlement begin in 1996.

SOUNDBITE:

(English)

"We have been promised until June. Okay. June is not too far. We have given many chances and we will give a last chance."

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, P-L-O Chairman

The 1993 agreement with the P-L-O permits settlers to remain in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank through a five-year interim period of autonomy. The government says that it won't hold back what it considers the natural growth of existing settlements, but that it won't build new settlements.

However, it says violence against Israelis in the territories must be curbed.

SOUNDBITE:

(English)

"I think there is a consensus in the government. That it's in our interests to speed up the negotiations and bring about elections in the territories. We want this but if this involves ceding territories to the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Authority

must prove by its actions that it takes more drastic steps to curb these murderous attacks against the lives of the Israeli people."

SUPER CAPTION: Amnon Rubenstein, Minister of Education

Although consensus seems to have been reached by both parties, it remains to be seen what will happen next.

(FILE: Hebron, West Bank)

1. Israeli soldiers walking in the streets

2. Various of Israeli soldiers in the streets

(Jerusalem, recent)

3. Dr. Ahmed Tibi at desk

4. SOUNDBITE: Dr. Ahmed Tibi, Arafat advisor

5. Cutaway of Palestinian flag flying (Flag is actually in Jenin, West Bank)

6. SOUNDBITE: Dr. Ahmed Tibi

(File: Attack near Halamish settlement - Jan 06 1995)

7. Car with broken windshield

8. Pull out from blood inside car

9. General shots of the funeral of Ofra Felix, mourners and funeral and march

10. Pull out from close shot of Arab village to wide shot of nearby settlement

11. Arab resident of village in field

12. General shots of settlements

(FILE; Hebron)

13. Israeli flag flying in settler compound in Hebron

14. Settlers walking past soldiers

15. Close shot of young settler children

16. Soldier guarding children

17. Palestinian woman walking past soldiers

18. General shots of Hebron market

19. Settler buying products at Hebron market

20. Soldiers in the market

21. Settlers walking in Hebron

(Jerusalem - April 24 1995)

22. SOUNDBITE: Aharon Dombe, spokesperson for settler movement Yesha

(FILE: Gaza City, Gaza Strip)

23. SOUNDBITE: Yasser Arafat, chairman of PLO

(FILE: Jerusalem)

24. SOUNDBITE: Amnon Rubenstein, Minister of Education

25. File aerial shot of new settlements around the greater Jerusalem area

English/Nat

Yasser's Arafat's vision of a Palestinian state has come a step closer.

That's after the U-N General Assembly voted to upgrade the status of the Palestinians at the U-N to that of a virtual state - despite U-S opposition.

The U-S voted against the move and had argued that it would jeopardise efforts to restart the stalled Mid East peace talks.

Israel's prime minister says it wasn't a very important development, calling it a "minor correction" to the status of the Palestinians.

But in the Palestinian-controlled parts of the West Bank and Gaza there's plenty of evidence already of effective Palestinian statehood.

From postage stamps and licence plates to state ministries -- facts are being created on the ground. A-P-T-V takes a look.

Over the past four years, Palestinians have slowly built up a political entity that looks very much like a state in the parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip they control.

There are highly-visible trappings of statehood -- like the Palestinian police force.

.

There is already a 30-thousand-member police force in training and patrolling the border lines with Israel and the streets of the Palestinian self-rule areas.

And other less visible but no less important trappings -- like Palestinian passports.

.

A Palestinian passport has been issued.

And Israeli licence plates have been replaced with Palestinian ones.

Palestinian Cabinet Minister Hanan Ashrawi welcomed Tuesday's U-N vote upgrading their status.

She called it an essential step on the path to peace in the region.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We hope that it will reach the stage of recognition of Palestinian statehood fully. We believe it will give us the opportunity to participate globally in order to contribute at the international arena and we believe it will also contribute to the peace process because we view Palestinian statehood and the recognition of Palestinian rights as an essential component, as an essential prerequisite for a just and lasting stable peace in the region."

SUPER CAPTION: Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Cabinet Minister

Other signs of at least partial independence -- there are also now Palestinian stamps.

Such symbols of statehood are no doubt a boost to Palestinian morale.

But they don't address one of the main stumbling blocks between Israel and the Palestinians -- land.

Israel has already hinted that if the Palestinians declare statehood on their own, it might annex large tracts in the West Bank.

There the Palestinians govern only 27 percent of the land.

Hardly surprisingly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has played down the U-N vote.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Well I'm satisfied that the Palestinian effort to upgrade their standing in the U-N to virtually to the state, the status of a state did not succeed and in fact what they achieved are minor corrections to their current status."

SUPER CAPTION: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister

But whatever Netanyahu may say, those Palestinian symbols at least hint the opposite.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has his own ministers that meet weekly.

The Palestinian flag already flies outside ornate Palestinian ministries in the West

Bank and Gaza Strip.

Yasser Arafat's P-L-O was granted observer status in the U-N General Assembly in 1974.

That was upgraded in 1988 when the General Assembly decided to designate the P-L-O as "Palestine."

And now the latest move up the ladder of international recognition must give Arafat some hope of achieving his dream of full statehood.

Ramallah, Hebron, Gaza City, Gaza, Jericho and Jerusalem, 07th July 1998, recent and file

Jericho, West Bank 17 May 1998

1. Palestinian police marching

2. Palestinian police graduation march

Gaza City 5 July 1998

3. Palestinian police officer talking on radio

4. Palestinian policemen in car patrol

5. Palestinian policeman directing traffic

6. An application for a Palestinian passport

7. Picture on computer screen for passport application, pan to passport being printed

Ramallah, West Bank, 7 July 1998

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Cabinet Minister

Hebron, West Bank 3 July 1998

9. Palestinian removes Israeli licence plate off car

10. Palestinian plate being printed

11. Cover being peeled off plate

12. Close shot Post Office sign

13. Palestinian woman buying stamps

14. Close shot Palestinian stamp

15. Close shot woman writing address on letter

16. Stamp being stuck to letter

18. Woman putting letter in mail box

Jerusalem, 7 July 1998

19. Set-up shot of Netanyahu

20. SOUNDBITE: (English) Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli

Hebron, West Bank 4 July 1998

21. Arafat heading Palestinian cabinet

Gaza City, 5 July 1998

22. Exterior of Palestinian finance ministry

23. Sign of the Palestinian finance ministry

24. exterior of interior ministry

Hebron, West Bank, File 19 January 1997

25. Arafat waving to crowd

26. Thousands of Palestinian cheering Arafat

27. Arafat giving the victory sign to crowd

Natural Sound

Palestinian stone throwers and Israeli troops clashed in the West Bank on Monday as U-S envoy Dennis Ross wrapped up his four-day Mideast tour.

The protests were held to mark Land Day, an annual commemoration of a 1976 protest against land confiscation in which six Israeli Arabs were killed by Israeli troops.

Tensions rose still higher as Ross failed to secure agreement from Israelis and Palestinians on American proposals for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.

Monday's tensions hinged on Palestinian commemoration of Land Day -- an annual day of marches to remember a land confiscation protest twenty years ago, in which six people died.

The victims of the protest in 1976 were Israeli Arabs -- they were killed by Israeli soldiers.

Over two decades later, the violence continues.

on Monday, Israeli troops and Palestinians were locked in combat on West Bank streets, with Bethlehem becoming the site of running battles.

Palestinians hurled stones.

Israeli soldiers responded with rubber bullets.

Other clashes erupted in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

Here too dozens of youths threw stones at soldiers.

They responded with rubber bullets and tear gas.

Palestinian police also stepped into the fray.

They pushed back the youths in a bid to break up the clashes.

Marching in Hebron, meanwhile, members of Islamic Jihad turned their anger towards the United States.

Marchers of the fundamentalist group gathered at the town's Islamic university where they burned the Israeli and American flags.

In the Israeli Arab town of Sakhnin thousands of Israeli Arabs gathered to commemorate Land Day.

Chanting national songs they filed through the streets.

The unrest came at a particularly bleak time for Middle East peace.

Wrapping up a four-day shuttle on Monday, American envoy Dennis Ross failed to win agreement from Israelis and Palestinians on U-S peace proposals.

Ross has been trying to win support for an American proposal for an Israeli withdrawal from a percentage of the West Bank.

He is unlikely to have any good news to convey to the U-S president when he returns to Washington.

Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron, Sakhnin, West Bank, 30 March 1998

Bethlehem, West Bank

1. Israeli soldiers shooting at Palestinians

2. Palestinians taking cover

3. Close shot Palestinian man throwing stones

4. Close shot Israeli soldier firing

5. Wide shot group of Israeli soldiers

Ramallah, West Bank

6 Wide shot Palestinians and Israeli soldiers clash

7. Palestinian police preventing kids from throwing stones

8. Mid shot Palestinian police detaining man

9. Palestinian police detaining stone throwers

10. Israeli soldiers firing

11. Palestinian boy throwing stones

Hebron, West Bank

12. Mid shot Islamic Jihad marchers holding up portraits of Islamic Jihad leaders

13. Wide shot Islamic Jihad marchers

14. Islamic activists burning flags

15. Activist's masked face

16. Wide shot Islamic Jihad activists

Sakhnin, Israel

17. Wide shot marchers

18. Mid shot marchers

19. Mid shot march

20. Mid shot marchers chanting and clapping

21. Mid shot boy with Palestinian flag

22. Wide, high shot of march

English/Nat

Thousands of volunteers have fanned out across the West Bank in the first census conducted by the Palestinian Authority.

On Wednesday, questionnaires will be collected in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

But the Israeli government is trying to block the census in east Jerusalem, which is claimed by many Palestinians as a future capital.

The Palestinian Authority sees its first independently conducted census as another step towards nationhood.

On Wednesday, census workers are to begin collecting questionnaires handed out earlier in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

But the chief organiser of the census refused to say on Tuesday whether the count would include east Jerusalem, where the Palestinians hope to establish a capital.

The Israeli police have made it clear they will not allow collectors access to the area.

But unofficial reports say questionnaires have been distributed in this highly sensitive area.

A reliable count of Palestinian residents in east Jerusalem could serve as a bargaining chip in future negotiations on the final status of the city.

But the Palestinian Authority says it is important for them to establish better information about their people.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"The census is basically an effort on the Palestinian side to put their house in order so that they can be in a better position to serve the public using that information to better distribute the resources and to optimise the use of the resources."

SUPER CAPTION: Hassan Abu Libdeh - Head of Palestinian Bureau of Statistics

The Palestinians have held a series of rallies to publicise the census which has done little to appease the Israeli leadership.

Israel believes the census will challenge its claim of sovereignty over Jerusalem.

It captured east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it into its capital.

Israel claims the census violates the peace accords that give the Palestinians limited autonomy in the West Bank and Gaza.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Even though we are talking about something which is symbolic in nature, we certainly expect the Palestinians to keep to the letter of the agreement that they signed. By trying to even symbolically compromise Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem, we think that this is something that is unacceptable and we're not going to stand by and even let them take symbolic actions.

SUPER CAPTION: Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government Spokesman

Palestinian minister Hanan Ashrawi denied that Israel has sovereignty over Jerusalem.

She believes it is occupying the city - and can not stop the census.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Jerusalem is not under Israeli law, it is under Israeli military occupation. That as far as international law is concerned is the status. There's nothing to prevent us from conducting our census unless Israel wants to use violence to prevent this census.

SUPER CAPTION: Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian legislator

The final results of the census are due on January the fourth.

Ramallah & Hebron, West Bank/ Jerusalem - December 9, 1997

Ramallah, West Bank

1. Exterior of the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics

2. Close-up of Bureau of Statistics sign.

3. Storage of census form.

4. Close-up of census form.

5. Close-up zooms out to shelves.

6. Close-up census form zoom out to class.

7. Member of Palestinian bureau of statistics explaining the census process to instructor.

8. Close-up of form.

9. Establishing shot of Hassan Abu Libdeh, Head of Palestinian Statistics Bureau.

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hassan Abu Libdeh - Head of Palestinian Bureau of Statistics.

Hebron, West Bank

11. Long shot of a rally in Hebron to highlight the census.

12. Men holding banner - pans to flag.

13. Poster for census.

14. Long shot of rally.

East Jerusalem

15. Long shot of street.

16. Jerusalem street.

17. Men walking.

Jerusalem

18. Establishing shot of government speaker Moshe Fogel.

19. SOUNDBITE: (English) Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government Spokesman.

Ramallah, West Bank

20. Establishing shot of Palestinian Minister of Higher Education Hanan Ashrawi.

21. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hanan Ashrawi, Palestinian Minister of Higher Education

Hebron, West Bank

22. Long shot school with banner.

23. Close-up poster.

Arabic/Nat

Singing nationalistic songs, about 2,000 Palestinians marched Monday to mark the 10th anniversary of their uprising against Israeli rule.

The demonstrators, at Islamic University in the West Bank city of Hebron, waved banners reading "No peace without prisoner releases" and "No peace without a settlement freeze."

Far from there, at the Jebaliya refugee camp, whenever Nimeh Abu Sisseh speaks her son's name, her face fill with grief.

That was on December 8, 1987, when her 16-year-old son Hatem, one of a crowd of camp dwellers hurling stones and firebombs at Israeli soldiers, became the first person to die in the long and bloody Palestinian uprising against Israeli rule.

Today Nimeh Abu-Sisseh recalls her son's memory as a 'Shahid' - a martyr.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

"We are proud of him, it is a great honor, may god bless him. This is how he wanted to die, he is a martyr for the sake of Abu Amar (Arafat) and Palestain."

SUPER CAPTION: Nimeh Abu-Sisseh, mother of Hatem

In the seven years that followed, 1306 Palestinians were killed by Israelis, and 192 Israelis were slain by Palestinians.

An additional 822 Palestinians, mainly accused of some form of collaboration with the Israelis, were killed by other Palestinians.

The uprising led to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that eventually produced the Oslo accords, which set a framework for eventual Palestinian autonomy.

The Intifadah anniversary brought together former intifadah leaders from various parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to mark the occasion.

Most of today's leaders were either deported or jailed during the uprising.

Marawan Bargouthi, today a member of the Palestinian legislative council, was deported to Lebanon during the intifadah.

He says the Intifadah has eventually led to the creation of the Palestinian authority.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"The Palestinian people, for the first time in his life discover that he has to depend on himself and that he has to stop to depend on the others... and second I think it was the big message in our history since the 67 war... the occupation that the Palestinian people will not live with the occupation."

SUPER CAPTION: Marwan Barguti, former leader of the PLO in the West Bank and today Palestinian council member

Palestinian chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, says the Intifadah is a symbol of freedom for the Palestinians.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"The Intifada for the Palestinian people was a message, for their freedom, their independence, their rejection of occupation. And it's a message through the most backward technology the human possess, the stone, to a nation that possess the most modern technology - the nuclear weapons - that Palestinian independence, the liberation of our land, is above anything else."

SUPER CAPTION: Saeb Erekat, Chief Palestinian negotiator

But back in the Jabaliya, now under Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority, the refugee camp is still impoverished.

Nimeh Abu Sisseh complains that nothing was for them by the authority that has declared her son as a martyr.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

"Nothing has been done for us, as you see our house remain the same. We keep asking for help but no one is responding, the president visited us here but nothing has been done yet."

SUPER CAPTION: Nimeh Abu-Sisseh, mother of Hatem

Bethelehem, Gaza, Hebron, Ramallah - December 8, 1997 and file

Hebron, West Bank, December 8, 1997

1. Rally marking the Intifadah anniversary - poster on wall

2. Boy waving a flag

3. People cheering

Jabaliya refugee camp, Gaza strip, December 8, 1997

4. Tomb of Hatem Abu-Sisseh

5. Close shot tombstone

6. Establisher Nimeh Abu-Sisseh, mother of Hatem, with sons and

Hatem's picture

7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Nimeh Abu-Sisseh, Arabic

8. Hatem's brother holding his picture

File - Hebron, West Bank

9. Various Palestinian throwing stones at Israeli army jeep

10. Various Israeli soldiers shooting towards Palestinians

Bethlehem, West Bank

11. Meeting of former Intifadah leaders

12. Meeting seen on TV screens

13. Establisher Marwan Barguti, former leader of the PLO in the

west bank and today Palestinian council member

14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Marwan Barguti, former leader of the PLO in the West Bank and today Palestinian council member

Ramallah, West Bank - December 8, 1997

15. Zoom out of Palestinian flag

16. SOUNDBITE Saeb Erekat, Chief Palestinian negotiator

Jabaliya refugee camp, Gaza strip

17. People on a refugee camp street

18. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Nimeh Abu-Sisseh, Arabic

19. Mattress leaned on wall

20. Brothers of Hatem with his picture

Natural Sound

Israeli soldiers opened fire on a car and wounded two Palestinians at a checkpoint between Jerusalem and the West Bank early Sunday.

Neither Palestinian appeared to have suffered life-threatening wounds, Israeli police said.

One was taken to a Jerusalem hospital, the other to a hospital in Bethlehem.

The incident, on Sunday morning, began when a Palestinian man approached this checkpoint from the West Bank town of Bethlehem.

Israeli police sources said that when asked to show identification, the man first presented an Israeli identity card, which would have enabled him to enter Israel.

But guards searched the young man and found a second Palestinian identity card, police said.

The man ran to a waiting car and the guards opened fire, injuring two Palestinians inside the vehicle.

Another man who was in the car fled toward Bethlehem.

Israel has been on high alert and imposed a total closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip after a suicide bomber from the West Bank set off a blast in a Tel Aviv cafe Friday, killing himself and three Israeli women.

The suicide bomber's family has been given notice of demolition of their property.

A punishment that the Israeli authorities - inheriting the procedure from the British colonial days - have been applying to the families of Palestinian terrorists and suspected terrorists since they occupied the West Bank in 1967.

Outside Bethlehem, West Bank, March 23, 1997 and Zurif, West Bank, March 22, 1997

Outside Bethlehem, West Bank, March 23, 1997:

1. Various Israeli soldiers at checkpoint

2. Palestinians rounded up by Israeli soldiers

3. Ambulance standing by

4. White vehicle being checked over by police

5. Policeman dusting car door for fingerprints

6. Various of police around car

7. Various of soldiers questioning Palestinians

8. Soldiers guarding a group of Palestinians

9. Police car drives past

10. Two orthodox Jews standing by the roadside

Zurif, West Bank, March 22, 1997:

11. Israelis soldier talking to mother of bomber inside the house

12. Soldier showing a document (demolition order)

13. Woman signing document

14. Soldier welding windows of the house.

Hebrew/Arabic/Eng/Nat

Israeli soldiers have killed one Palestinian and wounded three others after opening fire in a West Bank village, prompting clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops brought into the area.

The shooting occurred during a confrontation between soldiers and villagers in the village of Hizme, just north of Jerusalem, in an area under joint Israeli and Palestinian control.

It heightened fears of a new wave of violence in the West Bank, which is already tense because of Israel's plan to begin construction of a new Jewish neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

The killing of one Palestinian and the wounding of three others when Israeli soldiers opened fire in the West Bank village of Hizme Tuesday, prompted clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops.

After the shootings, Palestinian residents began throwing stones at the large numbers of Israeli soldiers and police deployed in the area.

The Israelis responded with tear gas and tried several times to storm the village, drawing a hail of large rocks each time.

After about an hour the area was declared a closed military zone and the clashes died down. No further injuries were reported.

The shootings have heightened fears of a new wave of violence in the West Bank, which is already tense because of Israel's plan to begin construction of a new Jewish neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

Palestinians warn the construction in Har Homa (Jabal abu Ghneim - it's Palestinian name) could derail the peace process.

Gabi Ofir, Israel's top commander in the area, indicated in a briefing that he had only a partial idea of what had happened.

SOUNDBITE: (Hebrew)

"We are in touch with the Palestinian Authority, and we are also aware of the special atmosphere that exists today because of Har Homa, and in fact we are ready in every place."

SUPER CAPTION: Gabi Ofir, West Bank Israeli Defence Force Chief

Witnesses said the gunmen were dressed in civilian clothes, suggesting they were undercover.

Jibril Rajoub, the top Palestinian security official in the West Bank, arrived on the scene shortly after the shooting.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"I think it was terrible a Palestinian was killed just because he is a Palestinian. What happened today is a shame for the Israelis."

SUPER CAPTION: Jibril Rajoub, Palestinian Chief of Preventive Security

One of the injured Palestinians brought to the Al Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem thought the three young men who entered his village armed with handguns and speaking Hebrew were Jewish settlers.

He said they walked up to his house, grabbed his nephew and hit him with the butts of their guns.

When confronted by members of the household, he said, the men opened fire.

Soldiers posted at a nearby checkpoint refused to help, and an army jeep entered the village and left with the gunmen, he said.

Another witness told a similar story.

SOUNDBITE: (Arabic)

"After a car came from Jabah street, not from El Masoom, the people stopped the car and they took the car by force. When the soldiers came, instead of protecting the public they protected the settlers. They threatened to shoot us and they pushed us away."

SUPER CAPTION: Palestinian at scene of shooting

An Israeli army statement said the Israeli troops had been "attacked" by Palestinian residents and opened fire.

The two other Palestinians injured in the shooting were taken to a hospital in Ramallah.

Hizme is in the West Bank's so-called Zone B, which is part of the Palestinian autonomy but has joint Israeli-Palestinian security control.

In a reflection of the sensitive timing of the incident, Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai ordered his officers to make sure the Palestinians were kept fully informed about the investigation of the incident.

Hizme and Ramallah, West Bank; East Jerusalem, 25 February 1997

Hizme:

1. MS Palestinians stoning Israeli army truck, pull out to truck reversing under attack

2. MS men throwing stones

3. Israeli soldiers running out from truck, grabbing Palestinian man and dragging him into truck

4. CU back of truck with soldiers

5. CU Palestinian with bloody face in truck

6. Various Palestinians stoning Israeli soldiers

7. WS group of Palestinians

8. SOUNDBITE: Gabi Ofir, West Bank Israeli Defence Force Chief (Hebrew)

9. MS Israeli soldiers

10. Pan Israeli army trucks

11. SOUNDBITE: Jibril Rajoub, Palestinian Chief of Preventive Security (English and Arabic)

East Jerusalem:

12. MS people in Al Makassed Hospital ward

13. MS wounded man on bed with bandaged leg, zoom in to leg and blood

14. MS injured man's face

15. CU injured man's leg with blood

16. MS pan men waiting in hospital corridor

17. SOUNDBITE: Palestinian eyewitness to shooting (Arabic)

18. Al Makassed Hospital sign

19. WS exterior hospital

Ramallah:

20. MS man with bandaged head in hospital, pull out to doctor bandaging his arm

21. CU bloody towel on bed, pull out to injured woman on bed

Hizme:

22. WS Palestinians at scene of shooting at night

23. MS group of men talking

24. MS soldiers on guard at scene

25. MS soldiers walking towards ambulance

English/Nat

The Israeli army has imposed strict security measures in the Palestinian West Bank town of Ramallah, in response to Tuesday evening's attack outside the town.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the shooting which killed two Israeli settlers and left five others injured.

No-one goes in or out of Ramallah without permission from the authorities.

Israeli soldiers search cars as they try to leave or enter the West Bank town.

The army has also blocked side roads from Ramallah with barbed wire and metal bars.

The town is now completely sealed off.

Palestinian police have also set up roadblocks and patrol the area, including the scene of the shooting, in an effort to locate the attackers.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat condemned the shooting.

But Israeli government spokesman Moshe Fogel blamed the Palestinian Authority for not doing enough to crack down on militant extremists.

SOUNDBITE: (english)

"This tragic terrorist attack is a test case for the Palestinian authority, if they will live up to their part of the agreement and that is preventing terror. As far as we're concerned the Palestinian authority is obligated to exert at one hundred per cent effort to find these terrorists and bring them to trial."

SUPER CAPTION: Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government spokesman

In the West Bank settlement of Psagot, members of the settler council met to discuss last night's events and to decide their position on the attack.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We warned when Oslo was first signed that it would result in a Bosnia/Lebanonisation of Israel, that's what we're seeing now. Oslo is dead, the question is whether or not the government of Israel is ready to recognise that Oslo is dead."

SUPER CAPTION: Yeichel Leiter, West Bank Settlers spokesman, West Bank

The shooting comes at a time of deep distrust between Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-line government and the Palestinian Authority.

Talks on an overdue Israeli troop pullback in the West Bank town of Hebron are deadlocked, and Palestinians are angry about Israel's plans to build 132 homes for Jews in the heart of an Arab neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

Ramallah, West Bank, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Psagot Settlement, December 12 1996.

Ramallah:

1. GV Israeli army roadblock

2. Soldiers checking cars and IDs

3. Cars backed up at roadblock

4. Army closing side roads/laying down barbed wire

5. Palestinian police roadblock

6. Palestinian police patrolling

Gaza:

7. Arafat sitting down

Tel Aviv:

8. SOUNDBITE: Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government spokesman

Psagot Settlement

9. SOUNDBITE: Yeichel Leiter West Bank Settlers spokesman, West Bank

10. Settler meeting

11. Settler meeting.

English/Nat

The Israeli army has imposed strict security measures in the Palestinian West Bank town of Ramallah, in response to Wednesday evening's attack outside the town.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the shooting which killed two Israeli settlers and left five others injured.

No-one goes in or out of Ramallah without permission from the authorities.

Israeli soldiers search cars as they try to leave or enter the West Bank town.

The army has also blocked side roads from Ramallah with barbed wire and metal bars.

The town is now completely sealed off.

Palestinian police have also set up roadblocks and patrol the area, including the scene of the shooting, in an effort to locate the attackers.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat refused to make any comment on the shooting.

But Israeli government spokesman Moshe Fogel blamed the Palestinian Authority for not doing enough to crack down on militant extremists.

SOUNDBITE: (english)

"This tragic terrorist attack is a test case for the Palestinian authority, if they will live up to their part of the agreement and that is preventing terror. As far as we're concerned the Palestinian authority is obligated to exert at one hundred per cent effort to find these terrorists and bring them to trial."

SUPER CAPTION: Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government spokesman

In the West Bank settlement of Psagot, members of the settler council met to discuss last night's events and to decide their position on the attack.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We warned when Oslo was first signed that it would result in a Bosnia/Lebanonisation of Israel, that's what we're seeing now. Oslo is dead, the question is whether or not the government of Israel is ready to recognise that Oslo is dead."

SUPER CAPTION: Yeichel Leiter, West Bank Settlers spokesman, West Bank

The shooting comes at a time of deep distrust between Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-line government and the Palestinian Authority.

Talks on an overdue Israeli troop pullback in the West Bank town of Hebron are deadlocked, and Palestinians are angry about Israel's plans to build 132 homes for Jews in the heart of an Arab neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

Speaking from Ramallah Hanan Ashrawi, Minister for Higher Education in the Palestinian National Authority also addressed the issue.

She warned that the reasons for violence in the region had to be addressed in order to avoid the explosion of the Middle East

"powder keg".

SOUNDBITE:

"My reaction is that we live in a situation of tremendous complexity, volatility and great injustice...we live in a powder keg situation - it's bound to explode at any moment. The fact that there was another incident of violence demonstrates beyond any doubt that real reasons for violence have to be addressed - that the peace process has to proceed with vision and with courage to change realities on the ground, that collective punishments and transforming the Palestinian territories into a collective prison is conducive to violence and that there has to be the will to proceed with the peace process effectively and to transform realities on the ground.

SUPERCAPTION: Hanan Ashrawi, Minister for Higher Education in the Palestinian National Authority

This latest attack is yet another setback in already troubled and uneasy Arab- Israeli relations.

Ramallah, West Bank, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Psagot Settlement, December 12 1996.

Ramallah:

1. Palestinian legislative council podium

2. Wideshot of council

3. Set-up Hanan Ashrawi, Minister of The Palestinian National Authority;

4. Council podium

5. SOUNDBITE: Ashrawi

6. GV Israeli army roadblock

7. Soldiers checking cars and IDs

8. Cars backed up at roadblock

9. Army closing side roads/laying down barbed wire

10. Palestinian police roadblock

11. Palestinian police patrolling

Gaza:

12. Arafat sitting down

Tel Aviv:

13. SOUNDBITE: Moshe Fogel, Israeli Government spokesman

Psagot Settlement

14. SOUNDBITE: Yehiel Leiter West Bank Settlers spokesman, West Bank

15. Settler meeting

16. Settler meeting.

English/Nat

Palestinians in the West Bank village of Dura on Wednesday buried three construction workers shot dead by Israeli soldiers the previous day.

The killings triggered the worst day of violence in the West Bank in months.

At least 32 Palestinians were injured by rubber bullets in stone throwing clashes with Israeli soldiers in a number of West bank towns and villages.

Troubles flared again on the streets of cities throughout the West Bank.

Palestinians - angry at the latest killings - hurled stones at Israeli troops outside a refugee camp near Hebron.

The soldiers replied with gunfire.

Fiery calls for vengeance and tears of private sorrow in the West Bank village of Dura as three construction workers shot dead by Israeli soldiers on Tuesday are buried.

More than 10-thousand people joined a funeral procession that snaked through the narrow hilly streets to the sound of Koranic verses.

Among the mourners were old men leaning on canes and young masked activists who shouted "Netanyahu is bad, and we'll kill him".

The bodies of the three labourers were driven to a small cemetery in white vans decorated with wreaths of flowers.

Palestinian policemen ran alongside the procession to keep order.

Tuesday's shooting occurred at an army roadblock near the village of Tarkoumiah, west of Hebron, when a van carrying Palestinian workers returning from jobs in Israel tried to bypass a line of cars waiting at the roadblock.

The army said soldiers opened fire after the van struck and injured one of the soldiers.

A Palestinian passenger said troops began shooting after the van sped up to prevent another car from cutting in front of the vehicle.

The killings triggered the worst day of violence in the West Bank in months, with at least 32 Palestinians injured by rubber bullets in stone throwing clashes with Israeli soldiers.

Some of the fiercest clashes took place in Ramallah.

Here, hundreds of students from Bir Zeit University clashed with Israeli soldiers who

shot and wounded at least seven protestors.

The killings came amid growing Palestinian frustration over the stalled peace talks with Israel and there is concern that the incident could trigger widespread violence.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat denounced the killings of the labourers as a "big crime".

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"It is a big crime against our workers and our labourers who were returning from their work to their homes."

SUPER CAPTION: Yasser Arafat, Palestinian President

The Islamic militant movement Hamas said Israel was bearing the responsibility for the latest violent developments in the region.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"All the Israeli events between the Palestinians and the Israelis stopping areas were intended and planned by the Israeli governments. So we are considering that the Israeli authority, the Israeli government are responsible of the killings."

SUPER CAPTION: Mahmud al-Zahar, Hamas movement spokesman in Gaza

Israel on Tuesday expressed its condolences for the incident.

A day later, Defence Minister Yitzhak Mordechai reiterated that the Jewish state was sorry and added the Israeli army was investigating the incident.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"We are very sorry about those people who were killed yesterday. We are investigating what happened there. I am going to be there, in the area this afternoon to find out what happened there. I think what it needs is to ask everybody here in this area and in other places to keep order and law and not to change the direction that all of us would like to mobilise the area to the peace-time."

SUPER CAPTION: Yitzhak Mordechai, Israeli Defence Minister

Before Wednesday's funeral, Palestinians clashed briefly with Israeli soldiers outside Dura.

Hospital officials in Hebron said 25 Palestinians were injured in Hebron and Dura.

Two of the injured are said to be in a serious condition.

An Israeli border policeman was slightly injured in the stone throwing.

Dura Village, Ramallah & Hebron, West Bank; Gaza city, Gaza strip; Jerusalem - March 10 1998

Al Fawwar refugee camp, near Hebron

1. Israeli soldier shooting at Palestinian throwing stones.

2. Palestinians throwing stones

3. Palestinians burning tires

Dura Village

4. Wide shot thousands of people in the cemetery

5. People carrying coffins covered with flowers and Palestinian flags

6. Wide shot mourners

7. Close up mourners

Ramallah

8. Palestinians throwing stones toward Israeli soldiers

9. Medium shot Palestinians throwing stones

10. Israeli soldiers firing tear gas and rubber bullets towards Palestinians

11. Various of with Palestinians and Israeli soldiers

12. Student demonstration

13. Wide shot students demonstrating

Gaza Strip

14. Arafat arriving by car at his office

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Yasser Arafat, Palestinian president

16. Set up of Mahmud al-Zahar, Hamas movement spokesman in Gaza

17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mahmud al-Zahar, Hamas movement spokesman in Gaza

Jerusalem

18. Meeting between Mordechai and Indian Chief of Staff

19. Cutaway camera

20. SOUNDBITE: (English) Yitzhak Mordechai, Israel Defence Minister

Hebron, West Bank

21. Large group of Israeli soldiers chasing Palestinians.

22. Soldier tries to kick out fire on ground

23. Large crowd of Palestinians - some throwing stones

English/Nat

A bomb killed at least one man and injured others in the West Bank just us the U-S Envoy to the Middle East, Dennis Ross prepared to wrap up a five-day trip to the region today with final talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Despite the U-S attempted mediation the latest violence is a cruel reminder of the impasse in the peace process.

Israel came away from the talks on Sunday saying no new troop pullbacks from the West Bank can proceed without security pledges from the Palestinians.

But Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat welcomed an American proposal for a peace summit in Washington.

A deserted area in the West Bank town of Ramallah, just north of Jerusalem, was the latest terrorist target.

Police say the charred remains of a white Peugeot where packed with explosives and suspect it was to be driven elsewhere to be used in a terrorist attack.

Witnesses say a body with its legs blown off could be seen lying next to the charred remains of the car.

Ramallah is the site of several Palestinian government ministries.

The last serious terror attacks in Israel were more than six months ago, when suicide bombings in Jerusalem, carried out by the militant Islamic group Hamas, killed the five bombers and 20 Israelis.

Meanwhile in Jerusalem, U-S Peace Envoy Dennis Ross tried to sell to Israel a withdrawal package of 13-point-one per cent of West Bank territory over a 12-week period.

But Israel says it cannot withdraw from more than nine percent of the West Bank and have demanded strict security pledges from the Palestinians.

Israel radio without citing its sources, said the two would meet again today (Monday).

Ross then headed to Gaza late on Sunday evening to meet Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

It was there that Arafat, when he was asked if he was ready to meet with Netanyahu, welcomed what he called an American proposal for an international summit with world leaders.

Such a summit could give Arafat political justification for continuing the peace process even if Ross fails to win concessions from Israel.

Ross has been trying to win acceptance for a U-S proposal for an Israeli troop pullback from about 13 percent of the West Bank but Israel has said it will not withdraw from more than 9 percent.

The withdrawal would be carried out in tandem with Palestinian moves to do more to fight terrorism who are demanding more territory.

However reports have circulated that a 10 percent to 12 percent pullback was being discussed.

Asked about reports that he would accept a 10 percent withdrawal, Arafat said it was still under discussion.

Netanyahu meanwhile said no percentages had been discussed in his meetings with Ross, although they were expected to have come up in the Sunday night meeting.

When Ross emerged with Arafat in the early hours of Monday morning little details were revealed.

SOUNDBITE: (English)

"Well what I can say is that I have had very thorough discussions with both leaders on our ideas and on the refinements that we have made on our ideas. They've had an opportunity not only to present our refinements but to hear reactions from both sides. I will be going back to Washington and reporting to the Secretary and to the President on these discussions in detail. It's been very clear from the guidance I had on coming out here that both the President and the Secretary believe that it's important to bring this process to a conclusion but the President and Secretary will make a decision on when it's appropriate to do so."

SUPER CAPTION: Dennis Ross, US Peace Envoy to the Middle East

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported Sunday that Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had told American Jewish leaders that the United States might pull out of the peace process if no progress was made.

But Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice-chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said the reports of the group's conference call with Albright were "exaggerated."

While Arafat welcomed an American proposal for a peace summit in Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly decided to meet Ross again on Monday.

Ramallah, West Bank, Gaza City, Gaza and Jerusalem - 29,30 March 1998

Ramallah, West Bank , 29 march 1998 - Night shots

1. Wide shot of explosion scene

2. Wide shot of police sifting through debris

3. Mid shot of fire truck

4. Various of police looking through debris

5. Wide shot of explosion scene

Gaza City & Jerusalem, Israel - 29 and 30 March 1998

Jerusalem, 29 March

6. Wide shot exterior of office building of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

7. Cutaway media

8. Ross and Netanyahu emerge for photo opportunity and handshake

Gaza City, 29 March

9. Night Exterior Palestinian building

10. Night shot of Palestinian flag

11. Medium shot Ross's car arrives for meeting with Palestinian president Yasser Arafat

12. Pan from Arafat to Ross sitting inside before meeting