Israelis shoot four dead in West Bank

Incursions will continue until attacks stop, says Ben Eliezer

Four Palestinians have been killed in the latest fighting in the West Bank, as Israeli forces maintain their hold on positions in and around six towns in the region.

Three men were hit by Israeli gunfire near Bethlehem and a woman was killed near Jenin.

Several countries, including the United States, have criticised the Israeli incursions.

In Israel itself some cabinet ministers also questioned the action, and the Labour Party has threatened to leave the coalition government of the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, unless the action is reversed.

In New York, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to "find a way back to the negotiating table".

Differences

Some hardliners in the Israeli Government have been calling for the overthrow of the Palestinian Authority following the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi by Palestinian militants last Wednesday.

We want to negotiate; we want to go back to the peace process, but Sharon's endgame at this particular time is to destroy it all

Saeb Erekat
, Senior Palestinian official

But Defence Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer said the government had no wish to bring down the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, or stay in Palestinian territory longer than necessary.

Mr Ben Eliezer, speaking on Israeli army radio, said the incursions were temporary but added: "We will remain until Yasser Arafat pledges to prevent terrorists from leaving these towns to commit anti-Israeli attacks."

Shocked Israelis have demanded revenge for Mr Zeevi's killing

On Saturday, eight Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli forces in Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank - the largest loss of life in a single day of violence for two months.

More than 20 Palestinians and one Israeli have been killed in the fighting which erupted after Mr Zeevi's assassination.

Since Friday, Israeli forces have entered six Palestinian towns - Ramallah, Jenin, Bethlehem, Tulkarm, Qalqilya and Beit Jala - in the largest wave of incursions in more than a year of fighting.

Accusations

Palestinian officials have accused Israel of trying to wreck the peace process.

Recent events have heightened already fraught relations

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told the BBC: "We want to negotiate; we want to go back to the peace process, but Sharon's endgame at this particular time is to destroy it all.

"To destroy the peace process and destroy the Palestinian authority and that's what he is doing at this particular moment."

Palestinian officials said Mr Arafat had spoken to the American Secretary of State, Colin Powell, overnight and urged the US to call on Israel to withdraw.

And it is reported that Qatar, as chair of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), has called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to end what it called "Israeli aggression" against the Palestinians.

Israel has demanded the Palestinians arrest and hand over Mr Zeevi's killers or "be viewed as an entity supporting and sponsoring terror".

The heightened tension between the two sides threatens to undermine America's efforts to solidify Arab support for its anti-terror coalition.