Israel announced Monday it was deploying troops to circle the Palestinian area of Beit Jala near the West Bank town of Bethlehem after heavy shelling late Sunday.
"From this morning, Beit Jala will be surrounded," Israeli army chief of staff Shaul Mofaz told public radio.
"I advise the residents of Beit Jala to leave their homes if there is new firing in the direction of Gilo (settlement) from their locality," Mofaz said.
Attack helicopters fired rockets and machine-guns at three buildings in the town late Sunday after shots from the area targeted the Jewish settlement, which lies south of Jerusalem.
An Israeli military spokesman said "two attack helicopters fired rockets and machineguns towards the origin of the shots.
"The helicopters attacked, with precision, two objectives in the locality of Beit Jala (near Bethlehem), a factory and another building from where there had been firing towards Gilo," the spokesman added.
Earlier, Israeli soldiers deployed in the suburb of Gilo had come under fire from the adjacent Palestinian-controlled area of Beit Jala. The suburb, set on the rolling hillsides of east Jerusalem, has recently become a target of gunfire coming from Palestinian areas.
There was also firing towards Har Homa, a settler area under construction.
A dozen buildings were hit but there were no reports of casualties, apart from two Israelis who were hospitalized for shock.
The Israeli army replied with machine-gun fire and grenades towards the Palestinian areas of Beit Jala, Khadr village and Haida refugee camp, a military source said.
Then the Israeli helicopters intervened, according to Palestinian witnesses, with rockets, cannon and machine-gun fire. The Palestinian witnesses said the two buildings targeted included a tile-maker's shop.
As the Palestinian fighters responded, Israeli tanks guarding Gilo opened fire with shells and machine guns.
The tank attack hit three houses and provoked panic in the area which was plunged into darkness when electricity cables were cut.
The fighting between Israelis and Palestinians in the area went on for several hours.
The Israeli army had warned Palestinians living in the Beit Jala to leave their homes before the helicopter rocket attack.
Israeli troops moved the residents of Beit Jala to the Haida refugee camp.
The Palestinian attack on Gilo -- an Israeli quarter housing 35,000 people, provoked anger in Israel.
Mayor of Jerusalem Ehud Olmert went to the scene and declared himself happy with the Israeli response, although he said it should have been firmer.
Elsewhere sporadic clashes claimed the lives of four more Palestinians shot dead by soldiers.
Another seven Palestinians were injured in gunfire in the Gaza Strip near Rafah.
The deaths of the four, who included a 14-year-old boy shot in the head, bring to 132 the number of people killed in the tidal wave of violence which has consumed the Palestinian territories since late September. All but a handful have been Arabs – (AFP)
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