A 45-year-old Palestinian was killed by a stray bullet in a gun battle between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians near the West Bank town of Tulkarm, Palestinian sources said today.
Mohammed al-Jallad was driving into his garage on the edge of Tulkarm when he was shot and killed, Palestinian security and medical sources said. They said the bullet that hit Mr alJallad was fired by Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli army said earlier its troops returned fire after being shot at by Palestinian gunmen near Tulkarm.
Mr Al-Jallad's death brings the toll to 332 Palestinians, 61 Israelis and 13 Israeli Arabs killed in the five months since a Palestinian uprising erupted after peace talks deadlocked.