At a time when the Palestinians are trying with Egypt's help to reach an agreement for a calming down, Israel is fueling the cycle of violence," said the Egyptian foreign minister, Ahmed Maher.

Israeli Raids Kill at Least 8 Palestinians
Israeli troops shot and killed at least eight Palestinians in scattered incidents across the West Bank and Gaza today, and re-entered Bethlehem after a brief hiatus for Christmas celebrations.

At least 30 Palestinians were injured and 7 were arrested, while 4 Israeli soldiers were wounded, officials said.

The surge in violence ended a period of relative calm that had lasted several days; it reflected the Israeli strategy of attacking suspected Palestinian gunmen before they can strike first. Israeli officials say they believe the strategy has helped curb suicide attacks, which have not occurred in more than a month.

Palestinian leaders say the Israeli operations are part of an effort to assassinate important Palestinians. They and others accuse Israel of trying to torpedo an Egyptian-led effort to persuade the main Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, to cease the killings of civilians inside Israel.

There were signs that Israel was planning even more aggressive action to crush the 27-month-old uprising. Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, reported today that the Israeli Army had begun building special security zones around some Israeli settlements in the West Bank to protect them against Palestinian attacks. Under the plan, watchtowers and fences would mark off the zone; Israeli soldiers would be permitted to fire on anyone stepping inside.

Palestinian leaders charged that the real intention of the project was to expand Israeli settlements and thereby sabotage an American-sponsored plan to create a Palestinian state by 2005.

Earlier this week, in a speech kicking off the Likud Party's parliamentary campaign, Mr. Sharon said that a "victory" over the Palestinians would enable him to strike a peace deal.

For their part, various Palestinian groups swore revenge tonight, raising the possibility of a new round of violence. "The Sharon government, the Israeli occupation army and Israeli assassination teams committed a series of savage crimes against the Palestinian people," the Palestinian leadership said in a statement tonight.

On re-entering Bethlehem today, Israeli troops reimposed a curfew as well, pushing the Palestinian residents back into their homes. Israeli forces now occupy virtually every major Palestinian town in the West Bank.

Today's fighting flared up in pockets across the occupied territories, illustrating the systematic nature of the Israeli sweeps. The troops, many dressed in civilian clothes, surrounded homes, cars and a hospital in what witnesses described as lightning-fast operations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/27/international/middleeast/27MIDE.html