Israeli tanks pull back

Israel moved into Ramallah after a Hamas attack

Israeli tanks and soldiers have pulled out of two Palestinian areas near the West Bank town of Ramallah, Israeli and Palestinian sources said.

The withdrawal from the villages of al-Tira and Beitunia represents a slight easing of the blockade which Israel tightened around Palestinian areas last week to pressurise Yasser Arafat to clamp down on Palestinian militants.

It comes a few hours after Israeli and Palestinian officials held their first joint security meeting since violence escalated last week.

Israeli tanks reoccupied Ramallah after a Hamas attack

Israel reoccupied several districts of Ramallah last week following an attack by the militant Islamic group Hamas on a bus that killed 10 Israelis and wounded 30.

In another development on Thursday, Palestinian police trying to arrest a Hamas leader exchanged fire with his supporters outside a house in Gaza City.

The wanted man, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi, refused to surrender and police withdrew to avoid further casualties after three officers and two civilians were wounded.

The police say Mr al-Rantisi is now wanted for resisting arrest and "instigating the masses to strike at national unity", according to a report on the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Tactics rethought

Local mosques had broadcast appeals for Hamas supporters to come and defend Mr al-Rantisi and witnesses said hundreds turned up, some of them armed.

The BBC's James Reynolds in Jerusalem says the attempt to arrest Mr al-Rantisi is part of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's efforts to show the international community that he is taking steps against militant groups.

Hamas

Founded 14 December 1987, just after the the first intifada began

An estimated 700-1,200 core members and tens of thousands of supporters

Labelled a "terrorist group" by the US and the EU

Group does not recognise the right of Israel to exist and wants to establish an Islamic state

The raid came after Hamas announced it was considering suspending suicide attacks against Israelis.

Sheikh Hassan Youssef, a senior leader of the group in Ramallah, said: "Hamas is studying the issue of suspending martyrdom attacks.

"It has not been decided yet, but the movement is aware of the interests of the Palestinian people and will take a decision that stems from their higher interests."

Mr Arafat called on Sunday for an end to armed conflict with Israel.

Hamas has carried out a string of suicide attacks against Israeli targets, including three earlier this month that killed 26 people.

Israel admitted five children died in November from "a professional mistake"

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Colin Powell telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and urged him to help create an environment in which Palestinians could step up their efforts to control militant groups.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army has acknowledged that its troops made a "professional mistake" when they planted a bomb that killed five Palestinian schoolchildren in the Gaza Strip on 22 November.

The bomb had been planted among sandbags from where Palestinian militants had fired at Jewish settlements.

Several officers will be reprimanded, the military said in a statement.