Israeli army troops launched several ground operations in the West Bank on Thursday, arresting at least six Palestinians despite efforts to boost fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians.

Early on Thursday morning, an Israeli army force entered the West Bank city of Nablus amid intensive machine gunfire, stormed some houses in Balata refugee camp and arrested six Palestinian activists.

The incursion comes as Palestinian military factions demanded Israel to stop its ongoing raids in the West Bank in order to halt launching homemade rocket attacks from Gaza in return.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa al-Barghouti denounced that Israel has killed 130 Palestinians since the announcement of the ceasefire between the two sides in November.

He warned Israel against launching assaults into the Gaza Strip, saying the Israeli government would be blamed on the consequences of any new offensive.

Al-Barghouti said the Palestinian government, however, saves no effort to reach a conclusive and mutual truce with Israel.

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2007)