Israeli tanks and troops entered Palestinian-controlled territory in the West Bank early Tuesday and arrested seven suspected militants before withdrawing.
The incursion came hours after Palestinians held a Midnight Mass in the West Bank town of Bethlehem without Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after Israel forbade him from attending the services.
In a broadcast on Palestinian TV, Arafat said he was prevented by ``tanks, the barriers and the rifles of the oppressors'' from celebrating with holiday-goers in Bethlehem.
Early Tuesday, an Israeli soldier was seriously injured in northern Israel along the border with Jordan, witnesses and military officials said. It was not immediately clear where the shots were fired from but witnesses told radios they believed they came from across the border.
As part of efforts to end the 15 months of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and Ahmed Qureia, a key lieutenant of Arafat, are conducting talks aimed at a renewal of stalled peace talks, Israel confirmed Monday.
Palestinian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have said the new proposals discussed by Peres and Qureia include a cease-fire followed within eight weeks by recognition of a Palestinian state in existing autonomy zones, which make up about 42 percent of the West Bank and two-thirds of the Gaza Strip.
The remaining issues _ expanded borders, Jewish settlements, Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees _ would be negotiated over the next year, and implemented within two years, the officials said.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office denied newspaper reports over the weekend about the proposals.
On Monday, a statement issued jointly by Peres and Sharon said talks were being held to ``bring about an end to the terror, violence and incitement in order to allow progress to be made in the diplomatic process.''
The statement emphasized that the talks have been taking place with the knowledge of Sharon, who has said he will not negotiate while violence persists.
Despite strong international pressure, Israel remained unbending in its decision not to allow Arafat, a Muslim, to make his annual trip to Bethlehem for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass on Monday.
Speaking to his people on Palestinian TV, Arafat said, ``The Israeli tanks, the barriers and the rifles of the oppressors have prevented me from sharing with you our annual celebration on this divine and blessed occasion.''
Israel broke off ties with Arafat on Dec. 12, labeling him ``irrelevant'' following an ambush on an Israeli bus by Islamic militants that killed 10. Suicide bombings in Jerusalem and the port city of Haifa the week before killed 26.
Arafat has been confined since Dec. 3 to the West Bank town of Ramallah by Israeli troops surrounding the city. He would not be allowed out until Palestinian police arrested suspects in the assassination of an Israeli Cabinet Minister on Oct. 17, Sharon's office said.
Before dawn Tuesday, about twenty Israeli tanks and military vehicles entered the town of Tamoun near the West Bank city of Nablus to arrest activists of the military group Hamas before withdrawing, Palestinian security officials said.
(China Daily December 26, 2001)
