Palestinian man killed in clashes with Israeli settlers

Additional details were not immediately available. Fresh clashes between militant Palestinians and Israeli security forces were reported Wednesday from other areas of the West Bank and from the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian men used a petrol bomb to set a tanker truck alight near Bethlehem. The driver was able to flee. Three Palestinian workers were injured when Israeli border soldiers shot at them within the autonomous Palestinian area Wednesday, the radio said. The soldiers had stopped them to check their papers as they were on the way to work. The report said the soldiers' weapons were engaged by accident.

The Israeli forces were on alert in the occupied Palestinian areas while in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak held a meeting with key cabinet members. Tensions were expected to be high Wednesday as the Palestinians consider November 15 their "independence day". Yassir Arafat had declared Palestinian independence on November 15, 1988, in the Algerian capital Algiers.

There had been fears that the Palestinians might unilaterally declare their independence on Wednesday, but a senior Palestinian Authority official announced Tuesday that the Palestinian Central Council will not convene on November 15 and will not declare an independent Palestinian state. "There will be no declaration of an independent Palestinian state in the coming few days, and the PLO Central Council will convene within the next two weeks," said Palestinian Minister of Information Yasser Abed Rabbo. The announcement was confirmed by Arafat.

(la/dpa)