October The attack came two days after Mr. Husni had vowed to put an end to public displays of weapons on streets in the Gaza Strip. Final results of the local elections conducted in the West Bank on 29 September were released. The head of the Palestinian Higher Commission for Local Elections, Jamal Al-Shoubaki, said Fatah had won in 51 of municipalities and Hamas in 13, where they would be able to establish administrations without forming coalitions.
The turnout was 84 per cent, and the number of eligible voters was estimated to be , Al-Shobaki also said that the Israeli army had arrested 17 candidates since 25 September leading up to the elections. On settlement activities in the West Bank, Mr. And according to international law, the settlement activities are illegal, and we agree with the Quartet committee members that settlements must stop and the military outposts must be removed. Security officials said Israel had suspended its offensive in the Gaza Strip following a lull in rocket attacks by Palestinian militants, but that it was ready to continue the operation if the attacks resumed.
AFP, AP. Israeli troops shot and wounded in the leg a year-old Palestinian who had attempted to stab them with a knife at the Beit Farouk checkpoint outside Nablus. The soldiers were not wounded. A Palestinian policeman and two civilians were killed and at least 50 wounded during clashes between the PA police and Hamas members in Gaza City.
The main clashes erupted when a police patrol operating in the Sheikh Redwan neighbourhood had stopped a car carrying four armed Hamas members and tried to confiscate their weapons. One of the men was Mohammed Rantissi, son of a Hamas leader assassinated by Israel in The Hamas men opened fire and the ensuing confrontation sparked gun battles all over the neighbourhood.
Later, the clashes spread to the Shati refugee camp, where the policeman was killed. The Hamas members also torched the Shati police station and several police cars. In a separate incident, a Palestinian driver was killed after he attacked a PA policeman during a demonstration called by Hamas in Gaza City to protest against soaring gas prices. The Israeli military opened an investigation into an incident in which a year-old Palestinian had been killed by Israeli gun fire during a military raid in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus on 30 September In a telephone conversation, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and PA President Mahmoud Abbas exchanged wishes for the upcoming Jewish New Year and the observance of the month of Ramadan and agreed to meet soon in order to enhance cooperation between them.
