Israeli troops backed by tanks have raided a Palestinian-ruled village near the West Bank town of Bethlehem and arrested three suspected militants.

Palestinian security officials say four Palestinian gunmen were wounded in an exchange of gunfire during the brief pre-dawn Israeli raid on the village of Irtas.

The Israeli army says it arrested a senior militant from the Islamic Jihad group and two other Palestinians suspected of involvement in terrorist activities. The army says troops left the village after three hours.

Shortly after the raid, Palestinian gunmen from the nearby town of Beit Jala opened fire on the Jewish enclave of Gilo, which Israel considers a Jerusalem neighborhood. There were no reports of injuries.

The Israeli government is considering a plan to prevent infiltration into Jerusalem by Palestinian militants from the West Bank. The plan was submitted after Sunday's attack in which a Palestinian woman blew herself up in downtown Jerusalem, killing one Israeli.

In another development, Israel's Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer plans to travel to Egypt Wednesday to discuss the escalating tensions in the region with President Hosni Mubarak.

Israel and the United States have demanded that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat do more to stop the militants. Palestinian officials say Israel's military raids and blockades hamper their efforts and trigger retaliatory attacks.

Since the current Palestinian uprising erupted 16-months ago, Israel has frequently raided Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to search for and arrest militants, who Israel says, are involved in attacks against Israelis.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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