Israeli forces raided the West Bank city of Hebron today, killing nine people, and an Israeli soldier shot dead another Palestinian in Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity.
The violence erupted hours after Israel accepted a proposal by US President Mr George W. Bush that would end its month-long siege of Palestinian President Mr Yasser Arafat's headquarters at Ramallah.
Israeli army said soldiers had detained about 200 people today for questioning in the sweep for Palestinian militants and arms.
In Bethlehem an Israeli sniper shot dead a Palestinian militant in the grounds of the Church of the Nativity. While a Palestinian official said 18 civilians might leave the besieged shrine.
Meanwhile Israel continued to resist a UN mission to the ravaged Jenin refugee camp as UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan strove to overcome its objections to the fact-finding team that has been cooling its heels in Geneva since Wednesday.
Under the plan tabled by Mr Bush, Israel will let Mr Arafat travel freely, while US and British security personnel will guard six men whose extradition Israel had demanded.
Palestinian officials in the West Bank met British experts today to discuss practical details. The officials said the men might be jailed in Jericho, the only West Bank city unscathed in the assault Israel launched on March 29th after suicide attacks killed scores of Israelis.
Elsewhere Israeli tanks and bulldozers pushed into the Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip, triggering a battle between Palestinian gunmen and Israeli troops, Palestinian security sources said.
The troops moved 150 meters into the camp with the tanks firing as they advanced, the sources said.
A boy (15) was wounded by gunfire, the sources said. Another Palestinian boy (10) was seriously wounded after being hit in the face by Israeli bullets in the town of Rafah which adjoins the refugee camp.
AFP and