A PALESTINIAN father of eight was shot dead by Israeli troops yesterday, and Israeli police began arresting Jewish settler extremists, as tensions in the West Bank escalated over the incendiary issue of Israel's long overdue military withdrawal from Hebron.
Mr Atallah Amira (36) was killed during a Palestinian protest march to the ultra Orthodox settlement of Kiryat Sefer, which is being expanded as part of the Israeli government's programme for bringing more Jews into the West Bank.
The Israeli army declared the demonstration unauthorised, and attempted to disperse the marchers as they neared Kiryat Sefer - using tear gas, rubber bullets and, eventually, live fire. Twelve Palestinians were hurt in the clash.
The unrest yesterday was the bloodiest since an outburst six weeks ago in which 60 Arabs and 15 Israeli soldiers were killed.
The government of Mr Benjamin Netanyahu has been publicising its settlement expansion plans in a bid to mollify extreme right wing opposition to the imminent withdrawal of most Israeli troops from Hebron, where 450 Jews live amidst the 100,000 or so local Palestinians. But to no avail.
With latest reports suggesting the pull out is likely to take place in the next fortnight, a leaked secret police dossier warns that hard core settler extremists and their supporters could well resort to violence to thwart the withdrawal.
Among the scenarios posited in the report is the prospect of attempts to assassinate Mr Netanyahu or his Defence Minister, Gen Yitzhak Mordechai, settlers opening fire on the Palestinian policemen who will replace the departing Israeli troops, efforts by settlers to seize control of Arab houses in the city, and attempts by settler women to set themselves on fire.
The Palestinians and Israeli left wingers want the 450 Jews evacuated from Hebron altogether.
But Mr Netanyahu said yesterday this would "never" happen. Instead, said the Israeli Internal Security Minister, Mr Avigdor Kahalani, about 30 leading extremists would be arrested ahead of the redeployment in an effort to reduce the potential for violence.
In the first such arrests, Mr Noam Federman, a prominent settler activist, was taken from his Hebron home early yesterday morning and jailed for two months without trial.
Last night, he declared a hunger strike.
In further violence yesterday three Israeli soldiers were injured in southern Lebanon, in an attack by Hizbullah gunmen that followed the killing of an Israeli soldier on Saturday.
And on the Gaza Israel border an 18 year old Palestinian was shot and wounded after ignoring Israeli orders to halt. Israel has been on a high security alert since late last month amid reports of planned bombing attacks by Islamic extremists.
Nevertheless, some 35,000 Palestinians have now been allowed to cross from Gaza and the West Bank into Israel work.