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.

In the town of Ramallah, Israeli soldiers trying to arrest two wanted men killed one in a firefight and captured the second, an Israeli military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Palestinian hospital officials said an apparent bystander was also killed in the fighting. The slain wanted man was tentatively identified as Bassam Lutfi, an activist in the Islamic militant group Hamas.

In the town Tulkarem, Israeli soldiers killed Jamal Nader, 28, a local leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a militia linked to Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.

In a third incident, in the town of Kabatiya, soldiers surrounded the home of Hamza Abu Roub, 37, a local leader of the Islamic Jihad group, and demanded that he surrender. Abu Roub sent out his wife and children, a neighbor said. The fugitive then appeared near the wall of his house and began shooting, drawing heavy return fire. Bursts of gunfire echoed through the town, residents said.

Four soldiers were wounded in the gunbattle, including one who was in serious condition. Troops blew up Abu Roub's home.