BETHLEHEM, West Bank - A Palestinian was shot dead in a hostel adjoining the Church of Nativity in this West Bank town Saturday. Also, Christian leaders met U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in an effort to end the standoff between Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen inside the church.
Palestinians at the site said Israeli soldiers briefly entered the hostel in the church compound and fired several shots, hitting a Palestinian civilian in the neck.
The army said soldiers did not shoot at the church, but did not comment further. Israel Radio said the Palestinian was armed and was taking aim when he was shot.
Armed Palestinians in the church appealed to Powell, seeking his intervention in the standoff, and have also sought help from U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Pope John Paul II.
In the meeting with Powell, the clergy proposed that Israeli troops leave this West Bank town for three days and allow about 200 armed Palestinians inside the holy site to put down their weapons and go home. Israel did not immediately respond to the proposal.
In the shooting incident, Palestinian Hassan Nasmam was shot in the neck by Israeli soldiers and later died of his wounds, said a Palestinian policeman holed up in the compound who gave his name as Abu Marwan. It was not clear if a medical team was prevented by Israeli forces from reaching the church.
Palestinian gunmen sought refuge in the ancient church April 1, when Israeli forces invaded Bethlehem as part of a West Bank offensive to crush Palestinian militias behind deadly attacks on Israelis.
Tanks and armored personnel carriers surround the church compound, with snipers in place and a white surveillance blimp trailing cameras providing a view of the grounds below.
The proposal described by Christian leaders as a "possible solution" is part of efforts to end the standoff at one of Christianity's holiest sites.
The church is built over the traditional birthplace of Jesus. About 60 members of the clergy have remained inside the compound.
The Rev. Raed Abu Sahaliya, a Roman Catholic patriarch spokesman, told The Associated Press that the proposal was given to Powell during his meeting Saturday in Jerusalem with patriarchs and heads of the various Christian Orthodox, Catholic and evangelical churches in Jerusalem. He described the meeting as "positive."
"The church leaders told Mr. Powell that they considered the people inside the church as refugees who have the right to be protected," Abu Sahaliya said. "Powell told them that he hopes this problem will end soon."
Powell has not commented on the proposal, which isn't likely to be acceptable to Israel.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yaffa Ben-Ari refused to comment on it. She reiterated Israel's position that it is trying "to negotiate for the surrender of the terrorists peacefully."
Israeli and Palestinian officials have said many ideas were being floated to end the standoff without violence or damage to the church, including the possibility of the armed men surrendering to a third party. Israeli officials, however, have said they insist the men be tried by Israel.
The proposal called for a three-day truce during which the Israeli army would withdraw from Bethlehem, including the basilica area.
Then, the Palestinian Authority would be asked to collect the weapons and allow the people to leave the basilica and safely go home. It also called for water, food and electricity to be provided to the church, noting there are civilians also inside the compound.
Earlier Saturday, the gunmen issued two statements, one directed to the pope and Annan, the other to Powell, who is currently touring the region.
"We are calling on both of you to intervene immediately," the statement to Annan and the pope read. The gunmen invited Powell to "come as a pilgrim and to witness what is going on inside the church, the place which the Israeli occupation army has made into a prison."
"Surrounding it with dozens of tanks and armored personnel carriers harms the holiness of this place," the statement said. The gunmen originally entered the church by shooting open a door.