Palestinian police shut out militants

Israel says Palestinian police are not doing enough

The Palestinian Authority says it has shut down more than 30 offices with connections to two militant Islamist groups responsible for numerous recent attacks on Israel.

The move came as Israeli security forces continued operations against suspected militants across the Palestinian territories.

Palestinian radio said the closures were made on Yasser Arafat's orders.

Israel has effectively seized Mr Arafat's policing powers

Israel has been demanding the actual arrest of suspects but Palestinian officials say this is unfeasible while Israeli operations continue.

Palestinian police said on Sunday that 33 offices connected to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups had been closed over two days.

Sixteen offices were closed in the Gaza Strip and the rest in the West Bank, with police padlocking doors and painting prohibition orders.

One office in Nablus had functioned as a press bureau for both of the groups, while others were charities or health care centres.

Emergency

"The security services in all parts of the homeland will today continue to close the political and media offices of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad," Palestinian radio said on Sunday afternoon.

The radio reminded listeners that the Palestinian leadership had declared a state of emergency the previous week "out of concern for the Palestinian people's higher national interests".

Israeli officials have previously cast doubt on Mr Arafat's efforts to restrain the militants, whose suicide attacks have killed scores of people in recent months.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon described a wave of much-publicised arrests as a "sham".

The Israeli security forces themselves have arrested dozens of suspected militants in recent days, entering Palestinian areas with tanks backed by helicopter gunships.