Israeli jets and helicopters have attacked Palestinian targets in the West Bank city of Nablus, in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed two Israeli settlers and wounded 30 others.

The army says the air raids early today (Sunday) were aimed at a police compound and the Nablus office of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. The buildings were hit hard, but no casualties have been reported.

In another part of the West Bank, Israeli tanks moved into new areas of Ramallah, the town where Israeli forces have kept Mr. Arafat confined since early December.

Israel confirmed the air raids were a response to Saturday's bombing in a West Bank Jewish settlement (Karnei Shomron) near Nablus. A Palestinian militant group, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, claimed responsibility for the blast, and named the bomber as a young man (Sadek Abdel Hafeth) from the West Bank town of Qalqilya.

Israel is blaming Mr. Arafat for the suicide attack, charging he has not done enough to stop militant attacks against Israelis.

Earlier, the Palestinian militant group Hamas fired two of its homemade Qassam rockets at Israeli targets. A short-range version of the rocket damaged an Israeli military installation in northern Gaza. A longer-range rocket fell inside the Israeli town of Kfar Azza, near the Gaza border. That attack caused no injuries or damage.

Earlier Saturday, four Palestinians were killed in separate incidents in the West Bank and Gaza.

(AP,AFP,REUTERS,DPA,PREV)

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