Fighting flares at church of the nativity

Israeli troops surrounding Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity exchanged fire today with armed Palestinians holed up in one of Christianity’s holiest shrines, and smoke was seen rising from the compound.

A Palestinian policeman, who was trying to extinguish the blaze, was shot dead by an Israeli sniper, a fellow policeman in the compound said. The Israeli military said two Israeli soldiers were wounded.

Each side accused the other of causing the fire in the courtyard of St Katherine’s, a Roman Catholic church next to the Church of the Nativity, which is built over the traditional birthplace of Christ. The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.

A Palestinian policeman, who only gave his first name, Salah, said the fire was caused by a stun grenade that Israeli troops threw into the besieged compound. When a Palestinian policeman, 23-year-old Khaled Syam, went to put out the fire, an Israeli soldier shot him in the head, Salah said.

Israeli troops stopped and searched a car full of Palestinian firefighters who came to extinguish the blaze. The firefighters were eventually allowed to go to Manger Square and put out the fire, but were not allowed to enter the compound, Salah said.

The Israeli military said Palestinians fired assault rifles and tossed grenades from the church compound at two Israeli observation posts on Manger Square, wounding two soldiers. Troops returned fire, and the shooting and grenades sparked several fires, the military said.

Father Ibrahim Faltas, the superior of the Franciscan community in the church, said that he heard shooting and explosions, but he could not identify the source of the gunfire and blasts.

Israeli forces moved into Bethlehem shortly after they began their 11-day-old offensive in the West Bank, an operation that is targeting militant networks blamed for a series of suicide bombings in Israel.

More than 200 armed Palestinians, including police and militiamen, have been holed up for seven days inside the church.

Israeli soldiers have used loudspeakers to demand that the gunmen surrender, but they have refused to come out. The army has said troops would not storm the church.