Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas plans to disarm militants in the near future, beginning with his own Fatah group’s armed wing, a top Abbas aide told an Israeli newspaper.

Yasser Arafat today said he welcomes a US-backed call for an immediate ceasefire with Israel, but stopped short of committing to steps the Palestinians would be required to take ahead of such a truce.

IN THE biggest sweep of its kind for months, Israeli troops hunting for militants stormed dozens of homes in this Palestinian city yesterday, ordering residents to line up in the dawn chill as tanks blocked roads and helicopters hovered above.

Ariel Sharon was under increasing international pressure tonight to call off his West Bank siege of Yasser Arafat even as the Israeli army stepped up its campaign.

Senior Israeli Cabinet ministers and security officials today ordered increased military pressure on the Palestinians after a weekend burst of violence in which four Palestinian attacks claimed 21 Israeli lives and 12 Palestinians died.

After 10 months of violence, Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says he does not believe a full peace is possible with the Palestinians and is aiming for less.

Palestinians today claimed Israel was guilty of war crimes after Israeli helicopter gunships killed a militant suspected of attacks against it.

An Israeli was killed and another lightly injured in two shooting attacks on West Bank roads today, the day after two powerful explosions killed six Palestinians, including two children.

A Palestinian has been killed during an exchange of fire between Israeli and Palestinian security forces near Ramallah, on the West Bank.

The Israeli army have bombarded Palestinian targets in the northern Gaza Strip, plunging a town into darkness and injuring four people including a 10 year-old boy.