Sporadic violence continues in Mid-East

Sporadic gunfire was reported around Jerusalem last night as Israel continued to increase its presence around Palestinian areas in the West Bank.

Palestinian gunmen reportedly targeted Israeli apartment buildings in the Jerusalem suburb of Gilo, which faces into the West Bank.

Israel returned fire, but there are no reports of any injuries.

Gunbattles also erupted in other parts of the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip last night, but again no injuries were reported.

Yesterday, Israel began moving extra troops and tanks into the West Bank in a move that most observers see as a show of force following the latest Palestinian suicide bomb attack.

Israel believes Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has done little to crack down on Islamic militants, one of his commitments under a CIA-brokered ceasefire.

For that reason, the beefed-up army presence in the West Bank is understood to be a veiled threat that Israel will attack if there are any more terrorist attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been under pressure from the public to retaliate against the Palestinians, while the international community is urging him to refrain from increasing tensions in an effort to rescue the shaky ceasefire.

Mr Sharon feels the deployment of troops, but lack of military action, is an acceptable compromise between both views.