Israeli troops and armoured vehicles invaded Hebron today while undercover troops killed two in Tulkarem, as Israeli right-wing Prime Minister Ariel Sharon tried to corral the Labour party into a national unity coalition.
Israeli public radio said the Hebron operation, which could last several days, came in response to a series of attacks in the areas which have killed 22 soldiers and Jewish settlers since November.
Security officials said five Palestinians were detained as 20 armoured vehicles deployed in the city centre. Palestinian officials said the troops had also shut down a television and two radio stations.
Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz warned this month the army would crack down in the Hebron area, where Palestinian militants have carried out a number of bloody attacks on Jewish settlers and the soldiers protecting them.
Around 600 hardline settlers live under massive Israeli army protection in Hebron, surrounded by about 120,000 Palestinians.
A Palestinian militant was also killed in a raid by an undercover Israeli unit on a cafe in Tulkarem, while a second man identified as a civilian was killed in the crossfire. Another six Palestinians were wounded.
And Israeli troops also wounded 20 Palestinians in clashes during a foray into the northern West Bank village of Tamun, near Jenin, the village mayor said.
Two other Palestinians were injured by Israeli tank fire on their taxi in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said. An Israeli army official said the tank fired on suspects spotted preparing to fire a home-made Qassam missile into Israel.
A dozen such rockets have been fired in the past week, provoking an army raid into the centre of Gaza City last Saturday night which left 13 Palestinians dead.
AFP