Agence France Presse

Jerusalem, February 26

Two Palestinians and an Israeli died in a gun battle when members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs brigades opened fire on Israelis at the Erez crossing point into the Gaza Strip early today, Israeli military sources and Palestinians said.

Two other Israelis were injured, the Israeli sources said. The dead were the two Palestinian assailants and an Israeli who died shortly afterwards of injuries sustained during the attack. It was not immediately known whether the Israeli casualties were soldiers or civilians.

The attack on the crossing point was claimed by the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of the Fatah movement headed by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, in an announcement made over a loudspeaker in the nearby Gaza Strip town of Jabaliyah. Israeli military radio had given a warning of an imminent attack shortly before the shooting started.

The deaths of the two Palestinians were confirmed to AFP by Palestinian workers who witnessed the scene.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces seized up to Pounds Sterling 6 million in currency from four banks in Ramallah yesterday, claiming the money was destined for Palestinian militants. Dozens of army vehicles arrived in the centre of the West Bank city, and troops confined bank staff to rooms while intelligence officials began searching records. The army had already arrested two bank computer systems managers the previous night to aid them in their search.

Soldiers entered the banks and covered closed circuit television cameras with sacks before checking the identity of customers and allowing them to leave.

Youths in Ramallah responded to the raid by throwing stones and petrol bombs. A curfew was imposed. Israeli forces fired teargas canisters and rubber bullets at the youths, causing 42 injuries, some of them critical.

Army vehicles remained in Ramallah overnight as the examination of bank records continued. The areas around the banks were carpeted in stones and debris from makeshift barriers.