No end to Mideast violence

The Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, says the uprising against Israel will continue -- despite Israeli air strikes on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

He condemned the Israeli actions as the start of a campaign of aggression by the new Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon.

And there's been a warning from an official in Mr Arafat's Fatah faction that it may launch attacks within Israel if further strikes are carried out against Palestinian targets.

Meanwhile, there's been renewed violence -- three Palestinians are reported to have been killed in Gaza.

In the West Bank, further trouble was reported in Hebron; the army said it fired at a Palestinian area after two armed Palestinians were seen entering a house there. During the air raids by the Israelis on Wednesday night, three people were killed and Mr Arafat's home in Gaza was damaged.

The BBC Jerusalem correspondent says Mr Sharon's decision to launch the strikes marks a change of policy.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service