Israeli occupation soldiers on Monday killed three Palestinians, including a resistance man , while Israel's Supreme Court ruled that reserve occupation soldiers have no right to refuse service in the West Bank and Gaza Strip . The court rejected an appeal by eight reserve occupation soldiers, but avoided making a landmark ruling on the legality of Israel's 35-year occupation of the territories.

The eight contended that Israel's occupation is illegal and that they therefore have the right to refuse service. The court said reservists cannot chose their assignments.

Also Monday, occupation soldiers demolished the family homes of two Islamic Jihad resistance men who killed four Jewish seminary students in a weekend attack on a West Bank settlement before being shot dead by security forces.

In Monday's violence, a Palestinian resistance man broke through a security fence separating Israel from the Gaza Strip and opened fire on occupation soldiers, the occupation army said. Occupation soldiers returned fire and killed the man, who carried two assault rifles, grenades and ammunition clips. He was dressed in an Israeli occupation army uniform, the occupation army said.

Infiltrators are often killed attempting to break through the fence. There have been very few cases in which activist succeeded in crossing the barrier.

In the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli occupation soldiers killed a 20-year-old in a street clash. The man was lighting another protester's firebomb when he was killed, witnesses said. Occupation army regulations permit occupation soldiers to shoot those holding firebombs because explosive bottles are considered life-threatening.

The occupation army confirmed the incident.

Also in the West Bank, a Palestinian crashed his car into a parked military jeep near a checkpoint and was shot dead by Israeli occupation troops.

The occupation army said the jeep tipped over and one soldier was lightly injured. The Palestinian driver stopped immediately, emerged from his car and approached the jeep, the occupation army said. Occupation soldiers in the jeep opened fire, assuming he was trying to attack them, the occupation army said. The occupation soldiers thought the man carried something in his hand, the occupation army said. It turned out he was unarmed.

Palestinian security officials said the man was a 37-year-old school teacher who delivered groceries after work to make extra money. At the time of the incident, he had groceries in his car, the security officials said.

In the town of Dura in the southern West Bank, occupation soldiers demolished the homes of Ahmed Faqih, 20, and Mohammed Shaheen, 20, who attacked the nearby Jewish settlement of Otniel on Friday. Islamic Jihad the shooting was meant to avenge the killing of a local militia leader by Israeli troops a day earlier.

Troops have been destroying the homes of suspected activists to deter attacks. Palestinians say the practice constitutes collective punishment.

Also Monday, the Israeli human rights group B'tselem said in a report that on Dec. 3, occupation soldiers beat five Palestinians in a Hebron barbershop, forcibly shaved the heads of two of the men and tried to make a third swallow shampoo. Troops also used the five as "human shields" in a clash with stonethrowers, the group said.

The report is based on the testimony of the five Palestinians.

The Israeli occupation army said it has been unable to track down the incident, even though the report provides the address of the barbershop.

B'tselem said the beating was not an isolated occurrence. "This grave incident is only the tip of the iceberg. Cases of punishment and abuse of Palestinians by IDF occupation soldiers in the occupied territories occur daily," it said in a statement.

Since the outbreak of fighting 27 months ago, more than 500 Israeli reserve occupation soldiers have declared that they will not serve in the West Bank and Gaza. Some of the "refuseniks" have been sent to military prison for periods of several weeks.

Eight of the objectors appealed to the Supreme Court, saying Israel's occupation is illegal and that they therefore have the right to refuse service.

However, the court said reserve occupation soldiers cannot choose their assignments, and that accepting the reservists' claim could further deepen rifts in Israeli society.

"The recognition of selective conscientious objection might loosen the links that hold us together as a people," the court wrote. "The people's occupation army might turn into an occupation army of peoples, made up of different units."

PHOTO CAPTION

Palestinian children examine the ruins of the home of Palestinan activist Mohammed Mustafa Shahine, in the West Bank village of Dura, near Hebron, Monday Dec. 30, 2002. Shahine was one of two activists who killed four Jewish seminary students, including two off-duty occupation soldiers, in the Jewish settlement of Otniel Friday night before being shot dead themselves the occupation army said. Israel says the demolitions of activists homes are part of its 'continuing war on terrorism and its infrastructure.'' (AP photo/Nasser Shiyouk