Pleas for mercy in Bethlehem siege

Soldiers surrounded the church after Palestinians fled there

By Caroline Hawley BBC correspondent in Bethlehem

It is now the 12th day of the extraordinary standoff at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, and Christian leaders are growing increasingly concerned about the fate of those trapped inside.

Church leaders in Jerusalem met the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, on Saturday and asked him to use his influence to ensure that food and medicines are allowed into the church.

A Franciscan priest inside the church spoke of a night of 'psycho-terror' as Israeli soldiers blasted Manger Square with loud screeching sounds

Clerics also want permission to remove the body of a policeman shot dead in the church by Israeli troops on Monday.

On Friday, the Palestinians in the church issued an urgent appeal for help from Pope John Paul II and the United Nations, saying they needed food, medicines and water to save them from what they called "a slow death".

Soldiers surrounded the church after more than 200 Palestinians took refuge there, among them a group of armed militants. About 40 nuns, monks and priests are also inside.

Representatives of 13 Christian denominations told Mr Powell that those inside the church must be given humanitarian aid.

The clerics said there were many civilians among them, including women and children.

They proposed a three-day truce in which the Israeli army would withdraw from the church compound and the Palestinian Authority would collect the weapons from the armed men inside.

Psychological pressure

But Israel is unlikely to accept the suggestion.

Instead, it is stepping up the psychological pressure on the Palestinians to surrender.

A Franciscan priest inside the church spoke of a night of "psycho-terror" as Israeli soldiers blasted Manger Square with loud screeching sounds.

An Israeli army spokesman has said Israel is now more determined than ever not to let the militants inside go free.

But it has been heavily criticised for its siege of the church, where it shot and wounded an Armenian cleric on Thursday.

An army statement said soldiers had thought he was armed.