Thousands of Palestinians Protest Israeli Assault
Earlier in the day, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas and bullets to try to stop demonstrations in West Bank towns as thousands of marchers disregarded military orders confining them to their homes. Four protesters were killed during the demonstrations, Palestinians said.

Later, a 13-year-old boy was also killed under disputed circumstances: Palestinians said he was shot while violating the curfew, while Israeli military sources said a firebomb he was trying to light ignited his clothing instead.

For three days, huge Israeli bulldozers systematically knocked down buildings in the city-block-sized compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah, closing in on Arafat's office, where the beleaguered leader was holed up in four rooms with his aides. The Israelis surrounded the building with barbed wire.

Water and electricity in the office building were cut for several hours. Palestinians interpreted this as pressure on Arafat, who continued to resist Israeli demands to hand over the people in his office. The Israeli military said the lines were cut by accident as huge bulldozers leveled structures in the area and that the lines were later repaired.

A few hundred yards away, dozens of protesters defied army orders to return to their homes. As soldiers used loudspeakers to declare that the curfew was still in effect, the demonstrators chanted back, ``No more curfew!''

In a statement, the Palestinian parliament called on Palestinians to ``show their willingness to resist this escalation,'' warning that Israel's operation might lead to a regional explosion and blaming both Israel and the United States. ``The American administration bears responsibility of blood of our people and of our leadership,'' the statement said, a reference to U.S. support for Israel.

Israel insisted that Arafat was not a target, but demanded the surrender of everyone inside his office, about 200 people, saying that most would probably be released. Initially, Israel had said only some 20 people inside were wanted and singled out West Bank intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Israel-Palestinians.html