Israeli gunships hit Fatah HQ

JERUSALEM — Israeli combat helicopters have attacked the headquarters of the movement of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat in some of the heaviest fighting in the six-week mini-war in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel sent helicopters to attack Fatah installations around the West Bank overnight Thursday amid Palestinian machine-gun fire on Jerusalem. The fighting around Jerusalem and the West Bank suburbs lasted for hours and into Thursday amid escalating casualties.

On Wednesday, eight Palestinians were killed by gunfire in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in one of the bloodiest days in the conflict.

The Fatah installations targeted were in Hebron, Jericho, Salfit and Tulkarm. Palestinian sources said in addition, Israeli helicopters targeted the offices of the PA police.

"There are no limitations on the Israeli military," Prime Minister Ehud Barak said. "There are borders that are logical. If we thought that 2,000 Palestinian deaths instead of the 200 now would really solve the situation we would act in that direction. But there is no miracle solution, because a settlement can only be found around the negotiating table.

Fatah gunmen directed machine-gun fire toward the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo throughout Wednesday afternoon and evening. Nobody was hurt, officials said, but an apartment was destroyed.

An Israeli assault helicopter responded to the Gilo attack by firing a missile at a house in the nearby West Bank village of Bet Jallah. Palestinians said a German physician was killed and seven people were injured.

Fatah officials said they would continue their attacks against Israel.

"The nature of the war is something that we have never known," Regional Cooperation Minister Shimon Peres said. "We can't end this in one night."

In Gaza, Israeli and Palestinian forces fought pitched battles in several areas. On Thursday, a bomb exploded near the Karni terminal between Israel and Gaza. Nobody was injured.

Earlier, Israel said security forces arrested 15 members of the Fatah's military wing in and around the West Bank.

Israeli officials said they are examining ways to reduce Palestinian casualties. But they said they have been unable to find non-lethal weapons suitable for the conflict.

Col. Daniel Reisner, head of the military's international law department said officials toured 26 countries in search for non-lethal weapons that can be effective at more than 100 meters. Reisner said only one such country had such weapons but refused to sell them to Israel.