Soldiers Kill 2 Palestinians in Clashes at End of Ramadan

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

In addition, 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 Eid al Fitr, the observance that marks the end of a month of fasting for Ramadan.

The deaths brought to at least 181 the number of Palestinians killed since the anti-Israeli uprising began in December. An Israeli settler and a soldier also have been killed.

Underground leaders had urged that the holiday be a day of “national mourning” for Palestinians killed in the five-month rebellion. Palestinians were urged to march to cemeteries and to visit the families of victims.

Many Muslim workers in the occupied territories stayed home and most businesses were closed for the three-day Eid al Fitr holiday.

In Gaza, demonstrators clashed with Israeli troops near the cemetery in the Jabaliya refugee camp after morning prayers. A 17-year-old was killed, an army spokesman said.

In the West Bank village of Azmout, soldiers used tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition to break up a demonstration. A 15-year-old boy was hit in the chest by a bullet and died later.