HIGHLIGHTS: A Hamas Activist Arrested in Hebron||Occupation Forces Withdraw from Tubas, North of Nablus|| Palestinians Say Any U.S. Plan Must End Occupation|| STORY: A Palestinian was shot dead Friday morning near the west Bank settlement of Qdumim, Israel Radio reported. According to this report, the Palestinian tried to stab a settler who in response fired on him and killed him. (Read photo caption)

In the latest of Israel's frequent raids in Palestinian territory, Israeli occupation forces entered Hebron before dawn Friday, witnesses said. Israeli armored vehicles and a bulldozer surrounded an empty building in the West Bank town, arrested a Hamas activist and then destroyed the structure, leaving after about two hours.

The Israeli occupation army claimed that three suspects were arrested and that an explosives laboratory was found in the building and destroyed. Israeli forces have been entering Palestinian areas nightly to make arrests.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation troops left Tubas Thursday. The occupation army left Tubas, is a village northeast of the city of Nablus, after a daylong operation to arrest so-called suspects.

PALESTINIANS SAY ANY U.S. PLAN MUST END OCCUPATION The chief Palestinian negotiator said on Friday a promised U.S. plan to create a Palestinian state must set a deadline for ending Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat demanded that Bush set a timetable for reaching a clearly defined goal, which should be creation of a state in all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. President Bush vowed on Thursday to lay out a plan for Palestinian statehood, but has yet to provide enough details to dispel uncertainty over American policy in the region.

PHOTO CAPTION

A Israeli flare lights up the area around the army base in Beit Sahour, near the West Bank town of Bethlehem, after Palestinian gunmen fired at the base June 13, 2002. (Magnus Johansson/Reuter