Six sentenced to death for working with Israel

Six Palestinians were today sentenced to death for collaborating with Israel by a military court during a secret session held in the pre-dawn hours in Gaza City, security officials said.

The sentence of one of the accused, 15-year-old Abdel Khalim Hamdan of Khan Younis, was commuted to 15 years at hard labour because of his age, the officials said.

The other five, all adults who had been arrested over the past six months, were sentenced to death for violating Palestinian security by giving Israel information on Palestinian security installations and details on Palestinian men who were later assassinated by Israel, the court ruled.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat must approve the death sentences before they can be carried out. About 40 similar sentences await Arafat’s approval.

Killings of Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel have become almost a daily occurrence as the fighting with Israel has intensified in recent weeks.

Last week, Palestinian militants killed 10 Palestinians on one day for allegedly cooperating with Israel.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah last month, the corpse of an accused collaborator was strung up from a monument in the centre of town.