Heavy shooting has erupted near the Church of the Nativity in Behlehem, where armed Palestinians have been besieged for two weeks by Israeli forces. 

The gunfire stopped after half an hour. Neither side reported casualties. Smoke and flares were visible in the night sky over the church compound. 

A Palestinian civilian trapped in the church told Reuters news agency that Israeli troops tried to storm a section of the compound. The Associated Press quotes the Israeli army as saying its forces were not entering. 

Earlier in the day, Israeli tanks and troops rolled into three Jerusalem suburbs, imposing a curfew and confining tens of thousands of Palestinians to their homes. The incursions into Abu Dis, Izzariyeh and Sawahra a-Sharkiyeh came one day after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon assured President Bush he would withdraw Israeli forces from the towns of Jenin and Nablus within the week. Israel launched its West Bank operation March 29th in response to a wave of deadly Palestinian suicide attacks. 

Israeli tanks briefly re-entered the northern West Bank town of Tulkarm Tuesday before withdrawing to the town's edge. Reuters news agency says troops arrested four members of the Hamas movement. 

In a related development, Israel has re-opened the notorious desert detention camp Ketziot, where thousands of Palestinians were held in tents during the 1987-93 uprising against Israeli occupation. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP. 

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