Israel kills six Palestinians, invades Bethlehem

Six more Palestinians were killed today after tanks moved into the biblical town of Bethlehem and commandeered two hotels.

Israeli forces have invaded several Palestinian areas in the West Bank over the past two days and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has suspended all contacts with Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority.

The move is part of a tough political-military retaliation for the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi on Wednesday.

The Palestinian Authority described today’s invasion and killings as part of a war against the Palestinian people.

"We consider this comprehensive Israeli attack an implementation of a war policy against the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people," the leadership said in a collective statement.

The Palestinians said the Israelis are taking advantage of Zeevi’s assassination to "reoccupy more Palestinian land".

Israel sent some 30 tanks into Bethlehem and Beit Jalla before dawn today after Palestinian militants fired on an Israeli neighbourhood in Jerusalem for the first time in weeks.

Three Palestinians were killed in Bethlehem, including a 28-year-old woman who was hit by a stray bullet while she sat in her home.

A Palestinian security officer was also shot dead in a clash with Israeli soldiers in Ramallah, while a stone-thrower was shot dead by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip.

A 13-year-old boy also died when he picked up an unexploded tank shell fired at the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza overnight.

Israeli Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit said his Government has no intention of holding onto the Palestinian territory it has seized in the past two days.

He said the invasion was designed to halt attacks on Israelis, something he accused Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat of failing to do.

Israel wants Mr Arafat to outlaw all Palestinian militant groups and to arrest all those on Israel’s wanted list before it restarts peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.