Israelis kill six in hunt for militants

ISRAELI soldiers hunting militiamen in the West Bank killed six Palestinians yesterday four gunmen, an unarmed teenager and an apparent bystander, officials on both sides said. Five Israeli soldiers were wounded.

An Israeli official, meanwhile, confirmed that the military has begun setting up buffer zones around Jewish settlements in the West Bank to keep out Palestinian attackers. Palestinian officials complained that Israel was further expanding settlements with the fenced-in zones.

Yesterday's violence came a day after Palestinian Christians observed what some said was their dreariest Christmas ever, with Israeli tanks surrounding the West Bank town of Bethlehem, Jesus' traditional birthplace.