Israel steps up West Bank operations

Palestinians are fighting the Israeli incursion

Israeli forces entered two new villages and killed up to seven Palestinians as Ariel Sharon's government persisted with its partial reoccupation of Palestinian-controlled territory in the West Bank.

The deaths come just hours after US President George W Bush appeared to tone down a State Department demand that Israel withdraw immediately from six West Bank towns.

I did express our concern about troops in Palestinian territory and I would hope the Israelis would move their troops as quickly as possible

President George W Bush

Israel has rejected the demand, and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says the army made "very important arrests" of Palestinians belonging to "terrorist organisations" during the night.

"We have made clear that we have no intention of remaining in [Palestinian-controlled] area A and that when we are done with our mission we will leave," Mr Sharon told parliament on Wednesday.

Three Palestinians - including at least one policemen - were reported killed when columns of Israeli tanks rolled into the Palestinian-controlled villages of Beit Rima and Deir Ghassaneh near Ramallah under cover of darkness.

Three Apache helicopters flew over the area, shooting bullets, Palestinian witnesses said.

A police post was shelled by an Israeli tank as it entered Deir Ghassaneh, the witnesses said.

The deaths occurred during exchanges of fire in Beit Rima, where troops took over several buildings and arrested dozens of local residents, witnesses said.

Another six Palestinians were injured near Hebron when a vehicle they were travelling in was sprayed with machine-gun fire on a by-pass road used by Jewish settlers.

Earlier, Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinians in Tulkarm, saying the men were about to open fire. Palestinian sources said it was an Israeli ambush.

A Palestinian was also shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in Abu Dis on the outskirts of Jerusalem.

The 25-year-old was throwing firebombs at soldiers when he was shot in the face and eye with rubber-coated steel bullets, Israel army radio reported.

US softens 'immediate' demand

Israeli defence officials quoted in the Israeli media indicated that troops might pull back in two days.

But officials continued to insist that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat must hand over those responsible for the assassination of an Israeli Cabinet minister last week.

Shimon Peres told US that Israel does not want to control the Palestinians

The US appeared to soften its opposition to the Israeli reoccupation when President George W Bush dropped in on a meeting in Washington between America's National Security adviser Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

Mr Bush called on Israel to leave Palestinian territory "as quickly as possible".

The US State Department had earlier demanded that the Israelis leave "immediately".

Mr Bush said: "I did express our concern about troops in Palestinian territory and I would hope the Israelis would move their troops as quickly as possible."

Death toll mounts

The deaths bring to 38 the number of Palestinians killed since Thursday when Israel reoccupied parts of six towns in response to the assassination of hardline Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi.

Palestinian officials, speaking anonymously, told the Associated Press that security chiefs from the two sides were in contact, a possible first step toward ending the incursion.

The United States fears the upsurge in Middle East violence could interfere with its coalition to defeat international terrorism by alienating moderate Arab states.

In all, more than 900 people have died in violence related to the 13-month Palestinian uprising against Israel's occupation, including more than 700 Palestinians and 175 Israelis.