Israeli forces and tanks moved into the West Bank towns of Nablus and Jenin early Thursday, searching for Palestinian activists following Tuesday night's bombing attack in Jerusalem that killed 20 Israelis.
In the West Bank city of Tulkarem, occupation troops killed 16-year-old Palestinian and wounded at least five others overnight, Palestinian witnesses said. Palestinian witnesses said the teenager was unarmed.
Shots heard in Jenin after some 20 tanks and other vehicles entered, witnesses said. A curfew was imposed in central Nablus after trucks and tanks rolled in.
Troops were carrying out searches for bomb laboratories and Palestinian activists, an Israeli military source told news agencies. Six Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces in the Jenin area overnight.
Israeli security sources said on Thursday that Israel had approved military steps to be taken against armed groups if the Palestinian government did not immediately crack down on them.
Israel's security cabinet warned the Palestinian government Thursday that there could be no progress towards peace if it did not crack down on Islamic groups behind attacks on Israelis.
Sources close to the government said Israel appeared to be giving the Palestinians "a few more hours" to act against these groups before it carries out wide-ranging strikes against them, Haaretz reported. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
