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Heavy shooting in Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM (West Bank) APRIL 16. Heavy shooting broke out tonight around the Church of the Nativity here today, where some 200 Palestinians, including wanted gunmen, have been under Israeli siege for two weeks, reports said. The heavy machine-gun and automatic weapons fire lasted at least 20 minutes.

It was preceded by explosions which appeared to have come from sten grenades and flares that lit up the Christian compound, said to be built over the site of Jesus Christ's birthplace.

In fresh incursions, Israeli tanks rolled into three Palestinian suburbs of Jerusalem and re-entered a West Bank city, a day after the Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, promised the United States he would withdraw from most Palestinian areas by next week.

Despite the Israeli action, the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said he hoped to work out something less than a formal ceasefire in the next 24 hours.

``I think we are making progress,'' Gen. Powell said, but did not explain further.

However, a senior Palestinian official said Gen. Powell's mission was not likely to succeed. Efforts to formulate a joint U.S.-Palestinian statement condemning suicide bombings and calling for an Israeli troop withdrawal broke down because of the Palestinians' insistence on including guarantees for eventual statehood in the document, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Bush paying close attention

The U.S. President, George W. Bush, is paying ``close attention'' to Gen. Powell's peace mission and thinks he is doing ``an excellent job,'' the White House said. ``What the President thinks is important now is to let Secretary Powell continue on his mission and to come back, make a report to the President, to the NSC and see what steps are necessary after that,'' said the spokesman, Ari Fleischer. — AP, AFP

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