Six Palestinian militants holed up inside a West Bank prison in Jerico surrendered to Israeli forces today, almost 10 hours after Israeli troops laid siege to the compound.

Israeli forces driving bulldozers and firing tank shells burst into a Palestinian prison in the West Bank town of Jericho today and pulled out dozens of inmates in their underwear in a raid targeting a group of prisoners linked to the killing an Israeli Cabinet minister.

Israeli forces burst into a jail today in the West Bank town of Jericho, demanding the surrender of prisoners, including the mastermind of the killing of an Israeli cabinet minister.

Israeli forces burst into a jail in the West Bank town of Jericho today, demanding the surrender of prisoners, including the mastermind of the killing of an Israeli cabinet minister.

ISRAEL put in question peacemaking moves yesterday after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he would free a militant jailed over the killing of an Israeli minister.

Israel has increased security for Cabinet ministers following Islamic militant group Hamas’s threat to target political leaders.

Yasser Arafat today presented a plan for reforming his security services to visiting CIA chief George Tenet, with the Palestinian leader proposing to halve their number and tighten supervision.

Israeli troops entered another West Bank city early today as Washington announced that President George Bush would meet Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon next week in fresh efforts to bring calm to the Middle East and renew peace talks.

Two Palestinian suicide bomb attacks in 24 hours and the arrest of a Palestinian woman Israel said was preparing an attack shows Palestinians still have the will and the means to strike, Israeli officials said.

Yasser Arafat could be freed from his West Bank confinement by nightfall after a deal was agreed today for the transfer of six wanted Palestinians to British and US custody in Jericho.

Nine Palestinians were killed today as Israeli tanks and helicopter gunships pummelled the West Bank city of Hebron.

Nine youths allowed to leave the Church of the Nativity after 23 days of siege were in Israeli custody, but an army officer said they would be released this morning.

Israeli is calling for four Palestinians to be handed over to stand trial in its terrority, despite being jailed for the murder of the Israeli Tourism Minister.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon may end Yasser Arafat’s isolation in his besieged West Bank headquarters and let the Palestinian leader return to Gaza.

APalestinian court in Yasser Arafat’s besieged West Bank compound has found four Palestinians guillty of killing the Israeli Tourism Minister.

Israeli forces were still surrounding Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity and Yasser Arafat’s office in Ramallah today despite Prime Minister Ariel Sharon saying the West Bank military assault was virtually over.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has been criticised by Palestiniains ahead of his meeting with Yasser Arafat today.

Israel has lifted its virtual house arrest of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, allowing him to move freely through the West Bank and Gaza Strip for the first time in three months.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said he is ready to lift the virtual house arrest of Yasser Arafat, but military strikes against Palestinian targets will go on.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has turned down a Palestinian request to ease travel restrictions and also dismissed a pledge by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to stamp out Palestinian ‘‘terrorist groups.’’

Israel today renewed its ultimatum to Yasser Arafat; arrest the assassins of an Israeli Cabinet Minister or remain grounded.

Israel says it will only allow Yasser Arafat to attend Christmas Mass in Bethlehem if he arrests the assassins of an Israeli Cabinet minister today.

Two Palestinians have been charged in connection with the murder of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi.

Two Palestinians have been formally charged with the killing of Israeli Tourism Minister, Rehavam Zeevi two months ago.

Israel has pulled its forces out of the West Bank town of Jenin, the last of six Palestinian towns invaded last month following the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi.

Diplomatic efforts to restart frozen Middle East peace talks intensified today with a European delegation offering mediation and the United States about to outline its policies.

Two Israel Cabinet ministers and their families have fled their homes after security services told them of plans by Palestinian militants to attack them.

Israel has withdrawn its tanks and soldiers from the West Bank town of Qalqilya, which it invaded along with five other areas on October 17 following the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi.

Israeli troops are set to withdraw from areas around the West Bank city of Qalqilya today, a spokesman for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Sunday.

America has a ‘‘modest’’ number of ground troops in Afghanistan, US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said.

Palestinian gunmen killed five Israelis in two shooting attacks in the north today, throwing into question Israel’s planned withdrawal from areas in two West Bank towns it occupied to prevent attacks.

Palestinian militants driving through a northern Israeli town opened fire on people waiting at a bus stop today, killing three people.

Israel said tonight it had suspended a planned withdrawal from two West Bank towns after Palestinian gunmen fired on its soldiers.

Israeli troops have withdrawn from the West Bank village of Beit Rima.

At least six Palestinians have been killed during an Israeli incursion into the West Bank village of Beit Rima, north of Ramallah, today.

Three Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank town of Tulkarem.

US Officials are calling for Israeli forces to withdraw from all Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank.

Israel is insisting that it will hold on to six West Bank towns until its demands are met, despite stiff US criticism of her widest incursion in seven years.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres today put pressure on Yasser Arafat to arrest 10 to 15 Palestinians on the West Bank, saying they were responsible for most of the terror Israel has suffered.

The Palestinian leadership has outlawed the group that has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Israeli Cabinet minister, Rehavam Zeevi.

Three Palestinians were killed today as Israeli tanks moved deeper into West Bank towns, tightening their grip on biblical Bethlehem and five other towns in the widest operation against the Palestinians in years.

Six more Palestinians were killed today after tanks moved into the biblical town of Bethlehem and commandeered two hotels.

Israeli tanks and troops have moved into Bethlehem in the West Bank.

Israeli-Palestinian violence was escalating again despite US appeals for calm, with six Palestinians and one Israeli dead in a series of incidents two days after the assassination of an Israeli Cabinet minister.