Witnesses say Israeli aircraft have destroyed the Gaza City headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat with a missile attack. 

Israeli warplanes and helicopter gunships fired at least 15 missiles into the compound early Sunday. At the time of the attack, Mr. Arafat was in his Ramallah compound, where Israeli forces have kept him under virtual house arrest since early December. 

The raid follows two Palestinian attacks inside Israel Saturday that killed 14 Israelis. 

Israeli police say a suicide bomber blew himself up in a Jerusalem cafe late Saturday, killing 11 people in addition to the bomber. About 50 people were wounded. The attack at the Moment cafe took place less than 100 meters from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. 

Three Israelis have died from an earlier shooting attack by Palestinian gunmen in the Israeli town of Netanya. Israeli authorities say two gunmen were behind the attack, not three as earlier reported. Israeli police shot and killed both the gunmen. 

The Al-Aqsa Brigades, an offshoot of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, has reportedly claimed responsibility for both attacks. Another Palestinian militant group, Hamas, has also claimed responsibility for the Jerusalem bombing. 

Late Saturday, Palestinian security sources said Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles in Ramallah, killing a Palestinian man. Earlier, Palestinian witnesses said at least 24 people were injured in an Israeli airstrike at Mr. Arafat's Gaza City headquarters. Palestinian medical sources say Israeli fire killed a 15-year-old girl in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. 

Senior U.S. officials say the violence adds urgency to U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni's upcoming effort to arrange a cease-fire in the region. Mr. Zinni has tried twice before to arrange a truce, without success. 

Meanwhile, Israeli troops have started withdrawing from the Tulkarem refugee camp after a three-day raid in which at least 15 Palestinians were killed. Palestinian security sources say the Israelis have taken with them at least 150 Palestinian men they arrested during the raid. 

The Israeli army says it seized 10 home-made Qassam rockets inside the camp. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has fired several Qassam rockets into Israeli territory, causing minor damage and injuries. 

The continued clashes come as Palestinians react skeptically to a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that he is willing to talk about a cease-fire while Israeli-Palestinian fighting continues. Mr. Sharon's comment to Israeli television Friday marked the first time he did not demand a full week of calm before talks could resume. 

A spokesman for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat told VOA that if the Israelis are serious, they should stop their attacks immediately. 

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

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