Two Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire today at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where the army warned it did not rule out force to break the 25-day-old standoff.
One of the two men was shot in the chest in an exchange of fire, according to a Palestinian source inside the church complex, where about 200 Palestinian gunmen and others have been under Israeli siege since April 2nd.
Israeli soldiers threw smoke bombs as the door of the basilica was opened for the shot men to be evacuated, to prevent journalists kept at a distance from taking photographs.
Four armed Palestinians, including one wearing a police uniform, also gave themselves up to the Israeli army, a Palestinian official said. The gunbattle erupted after the surrender.
The latest surrenders brought to 20 the number of people evacuated as a result of talks or due to the deteriorating humanitarian situation since the beginning of the siege.
An army spokesman said Israel was ready to use military force against the church, one of the holiest sites in Christendom, if negotiations to evacuate the gunmen trapped inside failed.
Captain Joe Leyden told reporters the situation "is not open-ended," adding: "If we have to exercise a military option, we will."
However he said later today that negotiations were moving forward at a "very good pace".
The Vatican has been in constant contact with the Israeli authorities since the siege began and insists on "respect for the integrity of holy sites as an absolute priority."
Israel has refused Vatican appeals to end the siege but pledged not to "violate the sanctity" of the church.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army freed all but one of nine young Palestinians detained after they were allowed out of the church on Thursday, a Palestinian official said.
But Mr Fuad al-Laham, 19, was handed over to Israel's domestic security agency Shin Beth for further questioning, said Mr Salah al-Taamari, the chief Palestinian negotiator in talks to end the siege.
Mr Taamari had earlier complained that the Israelis were "reneging on a commitment to release the youths without hindrance" and threatened to suspend further talks unless they were freed.
The exit of the youths and two monks who left earlier yesterday was one of the few tangible results of the four rounds of talks to end the siege, which has been baptized "Operation New Nativity," according to an Israeli daily.
Mr Taamari said he had received Israeli authorization to visit Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in his besieged base in the town of Ramallah to brief him tomorrow on the negotiations.
"In the meeting with Yasser Arafat, they will be discussing the principles of releasing more of the hostages," Mr Leyden said.
There were no negotiations for resolving the standoff scheduled for today, Mr Taamari said.
The Palestinians want the European Union to act as guarantor for any agreement to evacuate the basilica, where Israel says about 30 wanted Palestinian militants are hiding.
Today , a demonstration of about 200 Israeli and Palestinian peace activists was halted at the army checkpoint guarding the entrance of Beit Jala, a Palestinian viilage adjacent to Bethlehem. No incidents were reported.
AFP