(24 Oct 2000) Natural Sound XFA Wedged into the Palestinian town of Ramallah in central West Bank, Psagot has been regularly pummelled by Palestinian gunfire, making it one of the most dangerous spots in the increasingly violent confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians. The shooting attacks often begin after dark - the silence of the night is shattered by Palestinian sniper fire returned with interest by the army unit backed by tanks that protect the settlement. A tank guards the main gate of Psagot, which was a community of 220 families just a fortnight ago. The Israeli army commander in the region, Colonel Gal Hirsch, said that if the shooting persisted, Palestinians living near Psagot would have to evacuate their homes to get out of the line of fire. In one recent incident, Israeli gunners in the tank at the main gate of the settlement fired their machine guns at nearby buildings used as cover by Palestinian paramilitaries. Since the gunfire began around Psagot, the army and residents have set up a "war room," equipped with phone lines, TV sets, maps on the walls and lists of phone numbers, including those of Palestinian liaison officials. Meanwhile volunteers update lists of roads considered too dangerous for travel and stay in touch with police, army and firefighters. The recent fighting in the Middle East was sparked by Sharon's visit on September 28 to a disputed holy site in Jerusalem. Since then, 124 people have been killed, the vast majority of them Palestinians. With peace receding as clashes intensified, Prime Minister Ehud Barak appealed to opposition leader Ariel Sharon to join a coalition government. Barak hopes to form a coalition before Parliament returns from a three-month recess on Sunday. But Justice Minister Yossi Beilin, a dovish member of Barak's Labor party, warned that Sharon's inclusion in the government would crush the peace process. Palestinians revile Sharon, who believes that Israel should cling to land captured in the 1967 Mideast war rather than trade it for a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Barak's decision to withdraw from the peace process, at least temporarily, has put on hold seven years of grinding negotiations with the Palestinians. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/07df81a2ecbdc0c6cc4676ec07274dee

• published: 21 Jul 2015
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