RAMALLAH Ñ Israel's military has launched a last offensive before it succumbs to U.S. pressure to withdraw from Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank.

Israeli commandos, police and security agents tanks stormed a Ramallah-area village of Bet Rima on Wednesday in an attempt to capture suspects connected to the assassination of former Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze'evi. Israeli military sources said two of the four suspected Palestinian assassins were captured.

"We are talking about a community from which the murderers of Minister Ze'evi came from," Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said. "We captured about 11 people including the brother of the killer."

Palestinian sources said 10 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation. Israeli military sources said five people were killed. Israeli military officers said the operation was meant to capture 15 Palestinian fugitives. The officers said 11 of the fugitives Ñ alleged to have participated in attacks on Israeli civilians Ñ have already been detained.

The Israeli operation, which ended with a troop withdrawal on early Thursday, was regarded as the last stage of the 10-day military mission in the West Bank. Military sources said Israeli troops would be ordered out of six Palestinian-controlled cities over the weekend. Ben-Eliezer is scheduled to discuss the issue with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres later on Thursday. President George Bush has demanded that Israel immediately pull out of the West Bank cities. Bush aides said the Israeli operation has drawn protests from Arab allies of the United States.

On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell again called on Israel to immediately withdraw from Palestinian-held areas. "I think at this time it would be appropriate for the Israeli government to immediately withdraw from the Area A [Palestinian-controlled] villages that they have occupied," Powell said.

In Bethlehem, fighting continued between Israeli and Palestinian forces. Palestinian combatants fired from the West Bank city toward neighboring Jerusalem.

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