TEL AVIV Ñ The Palestinian Authority has arrested more members of Islamic opposition groups, which in turn has sparked threats against Yasser Arafat.

Israeli military officials dismissed the PA arrests, saying many of those detained are being held in hotels.

Palestinian sources said more than 220 people have been arrested in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They include 20 Hamas activists detained on late Thursday in Gaza.

PA ChairmanYasser Arafat said Palestinian security forces have so far arrested 17 persons wanted by Israel and the United States. He said 14 of them were arrested in Jenin.

Over the weekend, Hamas's military wing threatened to attack PA officials if any of its members are harmed. Earlier, Islamic Jihad issued a similar threat.

PA security officials said several Hamas weapons factories have been seized. They said the factories produced mortars and rockets.

Israeli aircraft destroyed two installations of the PA military intelligence in the Gaza city of Rafah.

Sunday, Israel was rocked by another Palestinian suicide bombing.

The bombing was reported on Sunday at a hitching station outside the northern city of Haifa. The station was packed with Israeli soldiers and eight people were reported injured.

It was the second suicide bombing in the Haifa in a week. Last week, 15 people were killed in a bombing in a Haifa commuter bus.

On Friday, U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni convened a security meeting with Israeli and Palestinian security officials. A U.S. embassy statement termed the discussion constructive and said it focused on ways to combat terrorism.

"A great deal of work remains to be done, and the two sides will continue their contacts," the statement said. "They both said they are committed to making fundamental progress. The United States plans to convene another trilateral soon."

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