Israeli forces have killed at least 17 Palestinians in attacks from the air, land and sea after gunmen killed six Israeli soldiers in the West Bank.

The Israeli military struck the headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and other targets in the West Bank and Gaza in pre-dawn attacks. Mr. Arafat was not hurt by a missile fired into his West Bank compound, but Israeli naval and air strikes killed four members of his Force-17 security unit at his Gaza City headquarters. Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians in the West Bank town of Nablus and two others in or near Ramallah. Most of the dead were Palestinian policemen.

Leader Arafat told reporters the "attacks do not terrify us, time will judge who will end victorious."

Wednesday afternoon, Israel troops killed two Palestinians they said were planting a bomb near a fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip. In another action, the Israeli army is closing roads and banning Palestinian travel between cities and villages in the West Bank. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, affiliated with Mr. Arafat's Fatah faction, and the Islamic militant group Hamas both claimed responsibility for killing the six Israeli soldiers at a West Bank military checkpoint Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met with top cabinet and security officials Wednesday and approved changes in the way the army is fighting the Palestinians. Israeli sources are quoted as saying there will be an increase in the scale and variety of operations. An key aide to Mr. Arafat said the Israeli military strikes are a "new crime," and appealed to the international community to end, what he called the "Israeli aggression."

Some information for this report provided by AFP, DPA, AP and Reuters.

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