Israeli Soldiers Kill 2 Arabs as Ramadan Ends

JERUSALEM — Israeli soldiers today killed two Arab youths and wounded nine other protesters in clashes throughout the occupied territories as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan drew to a close, officials said.

Besides the Arabs who were shot, eight demonstrators in the Gaza Strip were treated for injuries from beatings or rubber bullets, according to Arab sources.

Most of the protests erupted during marches in which Palestinians waved flags and shouted nationalistic slogans after morning prayers at mosques for Id el Fitr, the end of a month of fasting called Ramadan.

PLO underground leaders of the Arab uprising designated today as a day of “national mourning” for Palestinians killed in the five-month rebellion.

Today’s deaths brought to 190 the number of Palestinians killed since the uprising began Dec. 8, according to U.N. figures. An Israeli settler and soldier also have been killed.

Reservists Complain

The daily newspaper Haaretz reported, meanwhile, that reserve soldiers returning from duty in the occupied territories were complaining that beating or humiliating Arabs was becoming routine in the army.

The reservists, who were not identified by name, said humiliating tactics included stripping people naked during questioning. Some reservists said they also witnessed Arab homes being vandalized by soldiers.

One of today’s worst clashes occurred in the Jebaliya refugee camp in Gaza where troops opened fire on marchers, killing a 17-year-old youth who was shot in the chest.

A 10-year-old boy was wounded by a bullet in the left ankle, and a 13-year-old was struck by a bullet in the left leg, they said.

Witnesses said one boy smiled and flashed a V-for-victory sign as he was taken into a hospital emergency room.

The second fatality occurred in the village of Azmut near the West Bank city of Nablus where soldiers opened fire on about 200 marchers.

A 15-year-old boy was hit by a bullet in the chest and died later of his wounds, Arab reports said.