Sharon urged to make tough response

ISRAELI Prime Minister Ariel Sharon came under pressure from hard-liners in his right-wing government yesterday for a tougher response to a Palestinian ambush that killed 12 soldiers and security men in Hebron.

Israel Radio quoted Sharon as saying during a visit with troops in the West Bank city that Israel should create "territorial continuity" between Hebron and the adjacent Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba, where last Friday's attack took place.

Such a move could entail razing Palestinian homes, a measure certain to put Mr Sharon at odds with Israel's main ally, the United States. Mr Sharon has sought to avoid such confrontation with Washington since taking office in March 2001.

In the first stage of what was expected to be an extensive military operation in Hebron, Israeli armored vehicles poured in on Saturday evening, backing up troops who commandeered homes and buildings at strategic sites.

The move represented reoccupation of the sector of Hebron that came under Palestinian control under an interim peace deal that hawkish Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed as prime minister in 1997.

Mr Netanyahu, vying with Mr Sharon to lead their Likud party ahead of a January 28 general election, said peace deals with the Palestinians were dead and called again for President Yasser Arafat to be expelled.