Dozens of Israeli tanks and armored vehicles surrounded Yasser Arafat's Ramallah compound early today — again trapping the Palestinian leader inside with top aides.Seventeen tanks took up positions outside Arafat's shelled and shattered compound — part of a force of 130 tanks seen moving into the West Bank city.
Israeli soldiers flashed V signs from atop their moving vehicles as two helicopters hovered overhead. Soldiers with loudspeakers immediately announced a curfew on the 200,000 people living in the area.
Arafat was inside the compound with key aides Faisal Abu Sharakh, Ribhi Arafat and intelligence chief Tariq al-Tarawi, who is wanted by Israel.
"A large number of tanks and Israeli jeeps are surrounding the president's office from all sides," Arafat aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh told The Associated Press from inside the compound.
Bursts of machine gun fire were heard, but no shots were fired at the compound, which Israel has surrounded four times — once trapping Arafat inside for more than a month.
The invasion was the latest step in Israel's relentlessly increasing offensive since 31 civilians were killed last week in three separate terror attacks.
It came just hours after Arafat accused Israel of moving toward complete control over his people.
Israeli helicopter gunships also fired missiles at a car in southern Gaza Strip today, killing three people, Palestinian security officials said.
It was not immediately clear who was being targeted in the attack in Jnaineh, east of Rafah City.
Door-to-Door Searches
Israeli troops are controlling most Palestinian population centers in the West Bank, including Nablus, Jenin, Qalqilya, Tulkarem and Bethlehem. Soldiers went door to door, searching for militants, making arrests and enforcing curfews.
Israeli officials denied they intended to reestablish civil administration of the West Bank but said fresh invasions, accomplished with the callup of 4,000 reservists, were needed to stop terrorists.
"The wave of terror that has swept Israel recently ... requires a deep and thorough army operation against terrorist infrastructure in Palestinian cities," Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said.
Israeli Cabinet Secretary Gideon Saar said the government may deport families of Palestinian suicide bombers to the Gaza Strip.
"The position of the Israeli government is that the terror of suicide bombers ... obligates the consideration of unconventional means," Saar told reporters.
As Israel was cracking down, Arafat's Palestinian police placed Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who uses a wheelchair, under house arrest and busted dozens of his followers. Hamas has taken responsibility for scores of bombings in Israel.
Israeli forces moved into Qalqilya at daybreak. Witnesses said about 60 Israeli vehicles surrounded two buildings, calling on tenants to leave.
Two Palestinian police officers were killed, one near Nablus and the other when an Israeli tank shell hit a building in the Tulkarem refugee camp.
Hard-line Israeli cabinet minister Effi Eitam said Israel was at war and would remain in Palestinian areas "for many months, responsible for security there."
"For all practical purposes, Oslo died a long time ago," he said, referring to the 1993 peace deal founding the Palestinian Authority. "None of the agreements exist anymore."
At least 1,416 Palestinians and 548 Israelis have been killed in 21 months of violence.
