A NORTH-EAST woman caught up in the Middle Eastern conflict has pledged allegiance to the Palestinians, despite warnings against them.

Claire Theret, 44, from Newcastle, spoke after the Israeli army rounded up 350 family members of Palestinian martyrs yesterday afternoon, and allegedly took them to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah, on the West Bank.

Last night, it was feared they would be used as human shields in the violence between the Israelis and Palestinians.

Ms Theret, a languages teacher at St Cuthbert's RC High School, Newcastle, found herself at the centre of the conflict when she went to Bethlehem with a party of international observers last week.

She is sheltering in the Aida refugee camp, on the outskirts of the town, as Israeli troops hold 160 Palestinians captive in the Church of the Nativity.

The British and US consulates have warned the observers against attack by Palestinian dissident groups, but they have dismissed the warnings as groundless.

Ms Theret said: "We have issued a declaration saying that the only threat we have faced so far has been from the Israeli army, and we have only received hospitality and kindness from the Palestinian population.

"We will continue trying to help the Palestinian people, who are in desperate need of humanitarian and medical assistance."

On Saturday, the Israeli army prevented the United Nations from delivering food and medical supplies to the 4,000 refugees in the camp.