MIDDLE EAST: A Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up at an army roadblock in the Gaza Strip, Israel arrested two Palestinian women who it alleged were about to carry out such attacks, and violence flared at other flashpoints in Gaza yesterday as Israel's Defence Minister, Mr Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, predicted that the "terrorist infrastructure" in Palestinian areas would recover within a few months from the "blows" Israel had delivered if there was no return to the negotiating table.
Mr Ben-Eliezer, said that the army was winding down its three-week "Operation Defensive Shield" offensive in the Palestinian territories - indicating that troops would leave the West Bank city of Nablus and most of Ramallah by tomorrow, redeploying on the outskirts of those cities, but would remain encamped around both Mr Yasser Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem until murder suspects and gunmen inside surrendered themselves.
More than 1,000 Palestinians remain in detention, and Israeli officials say that they have gathered invaluable intelligence information on the planning and logistics of suicide bombings. Still, they acknowledge that only some 10 to 15 of the 105 "most wanted" men in the West Bank have been killed or captured.
There was no doubt, said Mr Ben-Eliezer, that the bombings which prompted the army's unprecedented incursions would resume their previous pace "within four months" if a new Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic effort was not launched.
"And that's why we began this (operation)," he said. "To get into peace talks."
Although Palestinian officials are opposed to a call by the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, for an Arab-Israel peace conference, accurately regarding it as an effort to bypass or marginalise Mr Arafat, Saudi and Moroccan leaders are due in the US in the coming days to discuss the idea - to Mr Sharon's delight, and Mr Arafat's dismay.
Meanwhile, Mr Arafat offered last night to put the suspected killers of far-right Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Zeevi on trial in a Palestinian court, an aide to the Palestinian leader said.
Mr Mohammed Rashid, an Arafat adviser, said the suspects had been moved to the presidential compound from a prison in Nablus in February for investigation.
In the aftermath of the failed ceasefire mission this week of the US Secretary of State, Mr Colin Powell, and President Bush's description of Mr Sharon on Thursday as "a man of peace," aides to the prime minister claimed yesterday that the Bush Administration now "recognises Mr Arafat's complicity in terrorism," and Israel's Channel 2 television even reported last night that the Prime Minister's Office believes the Americans are close to "signalling tacit assent" for the deportation of the Palestinian President. Mr Sharon privately, and his chief of staff, Lieut-Gen Shaul Mofaz, publicly, have been speaking for weeks about their desire to send Mr Arafat into exile - but have been opposed by other ministers and intelligence chiefs who consider such a move counter-productive. Palestinian officials said they were outraged at Mr Bush's comments, with the former peace negotiator, Mr Saeb Erekat, accusing Mr Bush of "trying to cover for Sharon. which is not serving the interests of peace".
After several weeks of relative quiet, the Gaza Strip was the focus of violence yesterday. Three Palestinians were killed in Rafah, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a car at an Israeli army roadblock and two Palestinians were shot dead by troops overnight.
In Ramallah, two Palestinian children, aged nine and 14, were killed by Israeli army fire, Palestinian doctors said. In northern Israel, a Palestinian was killed when attempting to knife a border policeman, the army said.
Our Foreign Desk staff report:
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, said yesterday her fact-finding mission to the West Bank and Gaza Strip would not proceed after Israel refused to give it the necessary help. But Mrs Robinson said she would still draw up a report on the "deteriorating situation". The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen, has expressed "serious concern" at the reported devastation of the Jenin camp.