Five Palestinians died Tuesday when Israeli occupation soldiers swept through the West Bank town of Tulkarem, one a leading resistance activist and another a teenager who had climbed on top of an Israeli armored vehicle, Palestinians said. Mideast violence that has persisted for two years shows no signs of abating, despite efforts by the United States, Europe and others to mediate a truce.

Occupation soldiers tried to arrest Tarek Zaghal, a leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade militia, wounding him as he tried to escape. He later died of his wounds, Palestinians said.

Near Tulkarem, two Palestinians were killed when their car crashed after running an Israeli army roadblock, the Israeli occupation army said. The army's statement said occupation soldiers opened fire after the car tried to run them over.

Another Palestinian, a night watchman, was shot dead at his post in front of a building, Palestinians said.

Tulkarem is on the line between Israel and the West Bank, 20 miles west of the Palestinian city of Nablus and 10 miles east of the Israeli coastal city of Netanya.

In Nablus, about 100 Palestinians demonstrated against the protracted Israeli occupation. A woman was hurt when occupation soldiers opened fire, Palestinians said.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers exchanged fire with two armed Palestinians who were apparently trying to infiltrate into the internationally illegal Jewish settlement of Kfar Darom, the occupation army said. The two Palestinians entered an abandoned building sometimes used as a post by Israeli occupation soldiers. Occupation soldiers surrounded the structure and fired at the Palestinians. It was not known if they were killed.

In the village of Al Khader, outside Bethlehem, Israeli occupation forces arrested Abdel Mahdi Ramadan, an Al Aqsa leader.

Ramadan was responsible for organizing attacks inside Israel, according to the occupation army.

At least 19 Palestinians were arrested in other West Bank locations. A top Hamas activist was detained in Hebron, Palestinians said.

MITZNA WINS ISRAEL'S LABOUR PARTY LEADERSHIP

Amram Mitzna, a so-called dovish former general who would scrap Jewish settlements on occupied land to foster peace with Palestinians, won Israel's Labor Party leadership election Tuesday. But opinion polls have shown that the Haifa mayor, a newcomer to national politics, has no chance of defeating popular right-wing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of the Likud party in a January 28 general election.

With preliminary official results showing Mitzna winning by a landslide, the incumbent head of center-left Labor, former defense minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, conceded defeat in a speech at the headquarters of Israel's main opposition party.

An exit poll released on Channel Two TV after Labor's balloting ended showed Mitzna taking 57 percent of the vote to 35 percent for Ben-Eliezer, and eight percent for veteran politician Haim Ramon.

Mitzna, who vows not to shave off a long-time beard until Israel achieves peace with its Arab neighbors, would be the center-left Labor's candidate for prime minister if he won the party vote.

PHOTO CAPTION

An Israeli occupation soldier arrests a Palastinian in the West Bank city of Hebron November 19, 2002. REUTERS/Loay Abu Hayke - Nov 19 10:03 AM