Israeli campaign halted

JENIN, West Bank -- With Israeli forces gone from most Palestinian cities in the West Bank, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared Sunday that Israel has completed the latest stage of its "war on terrorism" and will turn to new tactics as it presses the campaign. \nIsrael withdrew troops from Nablus, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank, and most of Ramallah, the Palestinian headquarters in the territory. But soldiers remained at two sensitive and volatile sites -- Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where armed Palestinians are holed up inside. \nThe Israeli army also said its forces remain in several villages near Jenin, though Israeli forces Friday left Jenin city and the neighboring refugee camp, the scene of the heaviest fighting in three weeks of Israeli incursions aimed in the West Bank. \nSharon called the operation -- which Israel says has been aimed at militant groups held responsible for attacks that have killed some 470 Israelis in 19 months of fighting -- a success. \n"I believe we have achieved very notable accomplishments," Sharon said. "However, the war against terrorism continues and will continue. But now it will employ a different method." \nSharon gave no details, but he has spoken previously about creating a buffer zone that would make it more difficult for Palestinians in the West Bank to reach Israeli cities and towns. Israel already has an extensive network of checkpoints that keeps most Palestinians out. \nThe withdrawal from Nablus and Ramallah was a significant scaling back of the Israeli campaign. But Palestinians are demanding a complete Israeli troop withdrawal from the West Bank before they will consider a cease-fire deal. \nSecretary of State Colin Powell, who tried but failed to negotiate a truce during a Mideast visit last week, said Israel should loosen its confinement of Arafat to give him a better chance of exercising his authority. \n"I think the more access he is given, the opportunity he is given to show whether or not he can control forces or bring this security situation under control," Powell said in Washington on NBC's "Meet the Press." \nIsrael says it will maintain its siege of Arafat's headquarters until he surrenders four men wanted for the killing last October of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi and the man accused of arranging a weapons shipment to militant groups. \nArafat's aides have said the suspects are in custody in the compound and will be tried by the Palestinian Authority. \nIn a related development, six pro-Palestinian activists from European countries slipped past the Israeli security cordon and entered Arafat's offices Sunday, joining about 25 other foreign activists who have been inside for the past three weeks. \nPowell said the United States and other countries were trying to bridge the differences between Israel and Palestinians over the suspects. \nHe also said he was pleased that Israel's withdrawal of forces from Nablus and Jenin and sections of Ramallah "seems to be well under way" but would like to see it continue "until there is no more question about it." \n"We are moving in a good direction right now, but it is not yet over," Powell said. \nWith Israel's West Bank offensive coming under international criticism, Sharon announced last week that Israeli troops would be out of all Palestinian population centers by now, except for Arafat's compound and the Bethlehem church.\nBut Israel still has troops in many parts of Bethlehem, not just around the church. Israel said a pullout from other parts of the biblical city would leave exposed the troops surrounding the church. \nConditions were worsening for those inside, one of the priests said.\n"There is no food left in the church now for the Palestinians or the monks and nuns," said Rev. Ibrahim Faltas, a Franciscan priest. Electricity was intermittent and there was no running water, he said. More than 250 people, including clerics, are in the compound. \nIn Jenin's refugee camp, meanwhile, Norwegian and British aid workers picked through debris, probing collapsed houses with tiny cameras looking for unexploded ordnance or signs of survivors. \nThe urgency of the mission was underscored when two children, both about 10 years old, were wounded by an explosive they may have picked up from the ruins. \nThe search and rescue mission "is going to be keeping us busy for some time," said Bard Strand, of the Norwegian People's Aid. \nJenin hospital officials said 45 bodies have been recovered, and more were likely to be found when the layers of concrete are removed. \nThe heavy fighting in the camp lasted eight days, ending April 11. \nThe Israeli army says about 50 Palestinians were killed, most of them militants. The Palestinians claim hundreds were killed, many of them civilians, though the search through the camp is going slowly and few bodies have been found in recent days. \nIsrael lost 23 soldiers in the Jenin campaign. \nBarry Sessions, of the British organization RAPID UK, said rescuers were reaching the end of the period when survivors could still be found.\n"It's a possibility we haven't ruled out," he said.