Israeli kills Palestinian in West Bank

Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:16pm EDT

(Updates with settler comment, denial by Palestinian security source)

JERUSALEM, March 31 (Reuters) - An Israeli settler shot dead a Palestinian whom the army said tried to attack Jewish settlers at a bus stop in the occupied West Bank on Monday.

The Israeli army said the armed civilian shot the man after he attempted to stab settlers near the Jewish settlement of Eli, north of the Palestinian city of Ramallah.

A Palestinian security source said the man killed was a civilian not affiliated with any militant group, and denied he had attempted to attack Israelis.

Israeli television later showed the settler explaining his actions to army investigators at the scene: "He brandished the knife, and yelled 'God is great' (in Arabic). I then took a step back, shot him, and he fall," he said.

The incident came hours after Israel removed a West Bank checkpoint under a pledge to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to ease restrictions on Palestinian travel in the occupied territory. (Writing by Avida Landau, Editing by Richard Williams)



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