ARABS-ISRAEL - Apr. 8 - Collaborator Killed.

Masked Palestinian gunmen kill a suspected collaborator with Israel Mamoun Freij, 37, in his shop in the West Bank town of Tulkarem. Asfah 77, a group believed to have ties to Fatah, later claimed responsibility, saying in a leaflet: "The killing of this spy is a message to all the spies that we will punish them". (Dozens of suspected informers were killed during the 1987-1993 uprising against Israeli occupation, but such attacks decreased after Palestinian self-rule was established in 1994. Since the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in late Sept. 2000, two Palestinian informers were tried and executed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and several others are on death row. Freij, a resident of Tulkarem, lived in the northern Israeli city of Hadera for some years after having received Israeli citizenship as a reward for co-operating with Israel during the first uprising. He returned to Tulkarem about three years ago).

The Tulkarem killing took place as Israeli security forces were on high alert for possible bomb attacks during the weeklong Passover holiday, which began at sundown on Apr. 7. Islamic militants have set off nine bombs since the uprising began, killing 14 Israelis and wounding more than 100. Hamas said it had seven volunteers ready to carry out more suicide bombings in Israeli cities. Two bombs exploded on Apr. 8 in the Gaza Strip, one near a Jewish settlement and a second near an Israeli Army patrol. No one was hurt. Palestinians fired two mortar bombs at Israeli military positions in Gaza, but no one was injured. A pipe bomb was found outside Beit Hadassah, an apartment block housing Jewish settlers in Hebron. An army bomb squad exploded it safely. There were exchanges of machine-gun fire during the night between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers at three places in the West Bank. Hamas, meanwhile, called on the Muslim world to protect the Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, Islam's third holiest site. PM Sharon last week instructed police to find ways to allow non-Muslims to visit the compound, which has been closed to visitors since the autumn. On Apr. 7 Israeli tanks launched a new strike at the Gaza seafront. Tanks and navy gunboats from offshore fired at the building near the coast.

The army also used helicopter gunships to fire at a power station, cutting off electricity to thousands of Palestinian homes. Fatah said an Israeli undercover unit "kidnapped" two of its men on Apr. 6 in an Israeli ruled area near Ramallah. The army described the men as Fatah activists suspected on firing on Israeli soldiers. The strike on the Gaza police station less than 2 km from Arafat's offices came despite security talks between the two sides this week. A policeman was in a serious condition from a head wound and that at least 30 Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, were injured in Apr. 6 clashes. In Hebron, around 200 students blocked the road to nearby Bethlehem, throwing rocks and bottles at Israeli soldiers who dispersed the crowd. The Israeli army said its tanks destroyed two empty warehouses and one building belonging to the Force-17 security unit near the Jewish settlement of Netzarim in Gaza. Arafat had spoken by telephone with Sharon, wishing a happy Passover holiday and had invited leftist Meretz Party leader Yossi Sarid to meet in coming days. Arafat later left for talks in Egypt with Pres. Mubarak. Arafat left Ramallah by a Jordanian army helicopter, which will take him to Amman, from where he will head to Cairo. Around 70 children near Gaza's Rafah croosing with Egypt set fire to a box representing peace talks with Israel. At Gaza's checkpoint with Israel, around 100 Palestinian doctors marched to condemn Israel's "excessive use of power". Israel's border police said they were checking the circumstances surrounding the death of Palestinian shepherd Mahmoud Hrabad, 58, near Hebron. Hrabad was detained and put into a vehicle by Israeli security forces alive shortly before they left the scene.