A Palestinian man was shot dead today as Israeli forces entered Palestinian-controlled land in the northern West Bank in pursuit of gunmen who opened fire on them earlier.
It has been reported that the Palestinian was killed by machine-gun fire as tanks and helicopters fought a pitched battle with the gunmen, who were holed up in a house on the edge of the town of Jenin after attacking an Israeli army post.
The Israelis said that two armed men had been shot but it is not clear if the dead man was one of them or a civilian caught in the crossfire. Earlier, Israel begn to lift some of its blockades, which had prevented residents from travelling the road to Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers opened their checkpoint in the West Bank town of Jericho.
An Israeli spokesperson said that the measure was part of a framework, destined to ease the existence of the Palestinian people. However, the Israeli army will still patrol the sector.
