RAMALLAH ø Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat has appealed for martyrs in the war against Israel.

In an address in Ramallah, Arafat said Palestinians should regard a Palestinian youngster killed in a crossfire between PA and Israeli forces killed in the Gaza Strip as an example for the Palestinian people. Arafat said all Palestinians are martyrs.

Arafat said he is willing to sacrifice 70 Palestinians to ensure the death of one Israeli. The speech was broadcast several times on PA radio. "We will defend the holy land with our blood and with our spirit," Arafat told supporters from Jerusalem. "We do not only wear uniforms; we are all military. We are all martyrs in paradise."

At that point, the crowd began to chant that millions of Palestinians are prepared to march as martyrs to Jerusalem.

Arafat's speech on Tuesday came less than two days after he issued a call for an end of Palestinian attacks against Israel. Palestinian insurgency groups have rejected Arafat's appeal.

On Tuesday, Palestinian gunners resumed mortar fire toward Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. Hours later, Palestinian sources said Israeli tanks entered a village near the West Bank city of Jenin.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon telephoned U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and briefed him on the latest Palestinian attacks. An Israeli government spokesman said Sharon reported 31 Palestinian attacks in the past 48 hours in which four Israeli civilians were injured.

For his part, Powell demanded that Israel and the PA renew their security dialogue. Israeli officials said Sharon agreed and proposed that the PA launch a drive to arrest insurgents in the West Bank city of Nablus.

In a related development, Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Amos Malka warned of a new wave of Palestinian attacks against Israel. Malka dismissed Arafat's appeal to end attacks as a sop to the United States.

Israeli intelligence sources said Palestinian groups have recruited 600 Palestinians for suicide-bombing attacks in Israel.

PA sources said Palestinian security forces have closed another six offices of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. This brings to 33 the number of Islamic opposition offices closed by the PA over the last week.

The sources said the PA has also arrested 15 members of Palestinian security forces. The security officers were suspected of participating in attacks against Israeli military and civilian targets.

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