Israeli troops kill nine in raid

ISRAELI forces killed nine Palestinians in a raid in the Gaza Strip yesterday.

The action came as Israel's siege of Yasser Arafat's headquarters drew rare US criticism and caused a diplomatic deadlock at the United Nations.

Only hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon publicly raised the possibility that a Gaza operation targeting the militant Islamic group Hamas could follow Israel's moves against Mr Arafat, an Israeli armoured force rumbled into two Gaza City suburbs.