Israelis Rout Protesters in West Bank, Gaza Strip

JERUSALEM — Israeli soldiers today used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators who burned tires and threw stones in the West Bank town of Ram, where a Palestinian woman was killed by Israeli gunfire.

An army spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said today’s demonstration in Ram lasted for about 90 minutes before soldiers dispersed the crowd. Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, there were scattered protests, but no injuries were reported.

The army reported a curfew was reimposed on the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, restricting the 10,000 residents to their homes. Arab reports said demonstrators threw stones, burned tires and blocked the main road.

The Palestine Press Service, an Arab-run agency, said soldiers used tear gas to disperse demonstrators in Gaza City. It said protests were held in a half-dozen other refugee camps and towns in the Gaza Strip.

A reporter who drove past the Kalandia refugee camp near Jerusalem said columns of black smoke from burning tires could be seen and a squad of a dozen soldiers entered the camp.

Disturbances Near Ramallah

The army reported minor disturbances in the area of Ramallah, where a commercial strike was under way.

Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, speaking on Israel radio, said the army sought to avoid casualties and described the killing Sunday of 25-year-old Haniya Suleiman as a “regretful incident.”

“Everybody knows how much we want to avoid, as much as possible, loss of lives. We’re not interested in dead or injured people, neither Arabs nor Jews. The army is doing its utmost and shows maximum restraint,” Shamir said.

Military officials said the army was proceeding with a scheduled cutback of troops begun Sunday, but would not provide details on how many soldiers were being withdrawn.