Israel has started to withdraw its forces from Palestinian-ruled areas of Hebron in the West Bank after a search and arrest invasion begun early Monday. 

The Israeli army says it arrested 200 people in Hebron, including some men on Israel's wanted list. Israeli commanders say troops are still besieging about 20 wanted Palestinians in a Hebron hospital. 

Nine Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces entered Hebron on Monday. Israel says it launched the incursion to crush what it called the terror infrastructure in the city, two days after Palestinian gunmen entered a Jewish settlement in the region and killed four people. 

Elsewhere, Israeli forces raided two West Bank Palestinian villages early Tuesday, searching homes and arresting a number of people before pulling out. The operations were in Shawara, near Bethlehem, and Silat al-Harithiyeh, near Jenin. 

In the Gaza Strip, one Palestinian was killed and another wounded by Israeli troops at the Khan Younis refugee camp. The Israeli army said it fired at armed men who approached a Jewish settlement. 

Meanwhile, U.S., British and Palestinian officials are still working out details of a plan to end Israel's siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Ramallah. Under the U.S. brokered deal, Israel is to allow Mr. Arafat freedom of movement, and six Palestinians wanted by Israel will be taken to a jail in Jericho and watched U.S. and British guards. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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