Three Palestinian gunmen who raided an Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip and killed three Jewish settlers were shot dead by Israeli snipers late on Tuesday, sources reported.
Al Jazeera satellite TV reported that Israeli snipers shot dead two raiders, then discovered a third who had not been with the other two.
The Qatar-based TV station added that the house they took over had no residents in it.
The gunmen had killed three Jewish settlers and injured at least four others late Tuesday in the raid on the Elei Sinai settlement north of the Gaza strip.
AFP, however, reported that only two Israeli soldiers died in the raid.
Al Jazeera had said earlier that two Palestinian gunmen shot the three settlers dead during a raid and then broke into a house and held its occupants hostage.
At least Four other settlers were also injured, settler sources were cited by AFP as saying, while Ha'aretz reported that the injury toll was eight.
This might be the first attack of its kind, according to Ha'aretz.
Israeli TV reported that a gun-battle broke out between Palestinian raiders and Jews inside the settlement close to the edge of the administrative boundary with Israel, and that there were children among the injured.
according to AFP, The army rushed reinforcements to the scene and a helicopter was overflying the area
Israel media also reported that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was considering convening his cabinet during the night to discuss the response to the attack and the impact of the operation on the fragile cease-fire.
Meanwhile, Palestinian police in Bethlehem tried to arrest the head of the armed wing of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's own Fatah movement Bethlehem late Tuesday, according to various sources.
Palestinian security officials were cited by AFP a saying Palestinian President Yasser Arafat himself had ordered the arrest of Ataf Abayat, who according to Ha'aretz is suspected of being involved in the murder of Sarit Amrani from Nokdim two weeks ago.
But the police were forced to negotiate with Abayat's armed followers on how he was to give himself up, with a number of supporters reportedly threatening to open fire on the neighboring Jewish settlement of Gilo, AFP said.
In the end, a compromise was reached whereby Abayat signed a police document acknowledging he had been arrested but was not put in prison, officials cited by AFP said.
The local police chief, Colonel Abu Zeid Hadad, was relieved of his duties, the same sources said.
The move appeared to be a sign that Arafat was responding to Israeli and US pressure to crack down on suspected militants.
Israel wants Arafat to uphold his side of a cease-fire agreement signed last week by jailing militants who pose a threat to Israel.
Arafat also condemned the deadly attack the Jewish settlement, calling it an "aggression against the cease-fire" he signed with Israel, the WAFA news agency said.
Arafat gave orders to the Palestinian security forces to find out which militant group was behind the attack, which left three Jewish settlers dead and several injured, the official agency of the Palestinian Authority said - Albawaba.com
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