Pressure on Sharon, but Arafat remains besieged

Ariel Sharon was under increasing international pressure tonight to call off his West Bank siege of Yasser Arafat even as the Israeli army stepped up its campaign.

President Bush, who had seemed prepared to allow Israel a free reign inside Palestinian territory, let it be known he was open to discussing the political aspects of peace deal before there is a ceasefire on the ground.

Egypt, one of only three Arab nations with political relations with Israel, was less subtle.

It cut off all but diplomatic contacts with Israel over the incursion into the West Bank.

Minister of Information Safwat el-Sherif said Egypt would limit its contacts with Israel to those that ‘‘serve the Palestinian cause.’’

Some Arab countries and protesters had demanded Egypt cut all ties with Israel and freeze the peace treaty between the two nations.

Meanwhile, scores of Palestinian gunmen were hiding inside one of Christianity’s holiest shrines - Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity - seeking refuge from Israeli troops that invaded the city as part of an offensive aimed at crushing West Bank militias.

Israeli forces expanded their campaign, taking over the Palestinian towns of Jenin and Salfit, and surrounding the Jenin refugee camp, a militant stronghold.

Tanks and helicopter gunships exchanged fire with hundreds of armed men in the camp.

Three militiamen, a nurse and a 13-year-old boy were killed in the fighting, militia leaders said.

In Bethlehem, Israel and the Palestinians failed to end a stand-off over scores of Palestinian police and militiamen holed up in the Church of the Nativity, built over the traditional birthplace of Jesus.

The armed men had forced their way into the shrine on Tuesday, after hours of intense fighting with Israeli forces.

The Palestinians rested in pews and on the stone floor.

Samir, a Palestinian policeman, denied Israeli charges that shots were fired from the church.

‘‘Most of the guys have run out of bullets and secondly, we’re completely surrounded,’’ he said.

The Israeli army spokesman, Brigadier General Ron Kitrey, said Israel would not use force in getting out the gunmen, but would not let them go free.

Raanan Gissin, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said the gunmen ‘‘abuse churches as a place from which they can conduct their attacks on our forces.’’

The Palestinian governor of Bethlehem, Mohammed Madani, said Israel has ignored requests to deliver food and medicine to the church, where about 200 people - among them also several priests, nuns and Palestinian civilians- were trapped.

Ten of the gunmen were wounded, including one who was in critical condition, Madani said.

Tanks were stationed at the edge of Manger Square and troops occupied the municipality building overlooking the square and the church.

The West Bank offensive - dubbed Operation Protective Wall - seeks to halt a wave of terror attacks against Israelis.

In Jenin, at least 30 tanks rumbled into the town from all sides, exchanging fire with Palestinians at the entrance of a refugee camp.

Israeli forces took over several tall buildings that provided views into the camp.

Among the four Palestinians killed in the camp were a 13-year-old boy, a 27-year-old nurse and Ziad Amer, local leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, a militia linked to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s Fatah group.

‘‘We will not surrender,’’ Amer said just before his death. ‘‘We will fight until victory or death.’’

Tanks also took up positions in Salfit.

The army said that there were exchanges of fire as troops moved into the town but neither side reported casualties.

In the West Bank commercial centre of Ramallah, Arafat remained pinned down by Israeli troops

and tanks, his compound now ringed by barbed wire.

On Tuesday, Israeli premier Sharon proposed publicly for the first time that diplomats fly Arafat into exile but Arafat swiftly rejected the offer, saying he would rather be a ‘‘martyr’’ than leave.

‘‘Is it his (Sharon’s) homeland or ours?’’ Arafat said. He also criticised Israel’s Bethlehem incursion: ‘‘Today they attacked Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Can you imagine? They are striking the church of the Virgin Mary.’’

Israel TV showed footage of military chief Lieutenant General Shaul Mofaz urging Sharon to expel Arafat.

Mofaz was seen telling Sharon: ‘‘We should kick him out.’’

Sharon - apparently unaware his comments were being recorded - replied, ‘‘I know.’’ Mofaz continued: ‘‘This is an opportunity now that won’t return.’’

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, chairman of the rotating EU presidency, asked Sharon to allow contact between Arafat and international leaders.

The plea came after Aznar tried to talk by phone four times with Arafat on but each time the line went dead.

When Aznar sought an explanation from Sharon he was told: ‘‘Mr Aznar, you are trying to talk to the chief of the terrorists.’’

Gissin, the Sharon adviser, said the international community was focusing too much on Arafat and too little on Israeli suffering; dozens of Israelis have been killed in suicide bombings in the past week, including 25 in an attack on diners attending a Passover Seder, the traditional meal ushering in the week long holiday.

‘‘While everyone is concerned that ... Arafat can’t meet delegations and continue with his incitement, I think we should all be reminded that last night we buried the 25th victim of the Passover massacre,’’ Gissin said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said the offensive would last about three to four weeks, the first senior Israeli official to give a time frame.

However, Sharon has said the campaign was open-ended.

The Israeli army today produced documents it claimed were from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.

They included the cost of a suicide bomber’s explosives - £100.

In Washington today, the White House suggested that President Bush might be on the verge of a subtle policy switch.

‘‘There are two vital guidelines that the president is seeking to advance and they can work independently, theether,’’ said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, referring to the security and political issues.

‘‘The important thing is for the parties to begin to focus, with the Unitedance, on making progress in both of them or either of them.

‘‘That is, the security arrangements that help enhance political prospects as a result of a t the political dialogue is an essential part of the dialogue.’’

The Bush administration has previously emphasised that the first step was for both sides to implement a security cooperation plan worked out by CIA Director George Tenet.