Day 20 : Tuesday 17.10.2000

Sharm-el-Sheikh  summit issued a vaguely-worded statement saying " the
two  sides  agreed  to  a  cease-fire  and  return  to the status that
preceded  the  current  wave  of  violence  ".  The  statement  said a
fact-finding  committee  would  be  formed  by  the  United  states in
coordination with UN Secretary-General Kufi Annan to establish how the
violence started.

Clashes between heavily armed Israeli soldiers and unarmed Palestinian
civilians continued throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In  the  West  Bank,  confrontations also continued along the friction
lines in Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem.

40-years  old  Nabil  Al-Abed Khater was killed by Israeli bullet near
the Beit Hanun crossing.

Earlier,  Farid Masatra, a 28-year-old Palestinian farmer was murdered
by  Israeli  settlers  near the village of Beit Furik near Nablus. The
settlers armed with machine guns opened fire on a group of Palestinian
farmers  killing  Farid  Masatra  and  injuring seriously three of his
relatives.

In Bethlehem and after the funeral of Moayad Jawareesh (14 Years old),
Palestinian clashes with the Israeli soldiers. Protesters burned tires
and throws stones during the demonstration .(Photo 1)

In  Rafah  ,  the Israeli bombarded with rockets Palestinian buildings
and  at  the  northern  edge of the Gaza Strip Israeli soldiers opened
fire  on  Palestinian  laborers,  wounding  six of them. More then 150
Palestinian protesters were injured in today confrontations.

Clashes  between  the  anger Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli
soldiers  broke-out  near  Erez  crossing  point . Palestinians throws
stones  at  Israeli  soldiers  and returned by live bullets and rubber
coated steel bullets. (Photo 2)

Number  of  Palestinian were taken to Gaza Hospital injured by Israeli
shooting . (Photo 3)

The Israeli tanks advances to the Palestinian village of Beit Jala and
fired  a  heavy machine guns after a shots were fired at Israeli homes
in  the  Jerusalem  neighborhood  of  Gilo  ,  an  Israeli soldier was
critically wounded in the gunfight .(Photo 4)

This is some photos of what happened today.

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Bethlehem demonstration. (Photo 1)
Clashes near Erez, Gaza Strip. (Photo 2)
Clashes near Erez, Gaza Strip. (Photo 3)
Tanks fired at Beit Jala.(Photo 4)