Four Palestinians killed during protest

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Carefully orchestrated Palestinian protests spun out of control yesterday and escalated into gun battles between Israeli troops and Palestinian police that killed four Palestinians and injured more than 330 people.

At one West Bank junction, Israeli snipers commandeered a Palestinian-run hotel and took aim at Palestinian gunmen holed up in buildings nearby. Hotel guests and staff, including nine Americans, were trapped in the lobby. One Palestinian guest who ventured out was wounded by sniper fire.

Yesterday evening, Palestinians fired hundreds of shots and threw firebombs at Joseph's Tomb, an Israeli enclave in the West Bank town of Nablus. Israeli soldiers fired back, and one Palestinian was killed, hospital officials said.

Witnesses said about eight Israeli armored personnel carriers moved toward Nablus from a nearby army base, but did not enter the Palestinian-ruled city. The clash ended when Palestinian police formed a line in front of the demonstrators and persuaded them to disperse.

Across the Palestinian lands, thousands battled Israeli soldiers with rocks and firebombs. Streets were littered with stones, and white clouds of tear gas and black smoke from burning tires rose into the air. Helmeted Israeli soldiers took aim from behind trash bins, and Palestinian gunmen, some in civilian clothes, fired from behind buildings and bushes.

Two Palestinian policemen and two Palestinian demonstrators were killed in the clashes.

At least 337 people were injured. Palestinian hospital officials said they had treated 323 Palestinians, and the Israeli army said 14 soldiers were hurt, including several hit by bullets.