JERUSALEM Ñ Israel's military has recaptured the West Bank city of
Bethlehem.
Israeli infantry, special forces, tanks and armored personnel carriers
entered Bethlehem from three directions overnight Friday. The force did not
encounter significant Palestinian resistance and imposed a curfew on the
city.
Israel withdrew its troops from Bethlehem in August and returned control
of the city to the Palestinian Authority. Israeli officials said that since
then the city has become a refuge for insurgents.
Military sources said the force captured eight Palestinian insurgency
suspects during the raid. They said two of the detainees were planning
suicide missions in Israel.
The Israeli operation came hours after a Palestinian suicide bomber blew
himself up in a crowded bus in Jerusalem, killing 11 people. The bomber was
identified as a Hamas member from the Bethlehem suburb of El Khader.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said any understanding on Bethlehem with the
Palestinian Authority has been annulled. His aides said the current
operation is also directed against PA security commanders in the city.
Israeli forces also operated in other parts of the West Bank as well as
in the Gaza Strip where an insurgent who was part of
a squad that tried to enter the Israeli community of Netsarim was killed.
The insurgent
was dressed in a PA police uniform.
In addition, Israeli forces demolished two homes in the Gazan town of
Khan Yunis. In the West Bank, Israeli troops captured a leading Fatah
operative in Nablus.
