Israeli occupation forces killed three Palestinians in the West Bank Wednesday and began demolishing the East Jerusalem homes of a resistance cell behind a resistance bombing which killed seven people including five Americans. The occupation army also closed the Islamic University and Polytechnic Institute in the West Bank city of Hebron, saying they were a "hotbed for terror attacks." The closures prompted brief clashes when occupation troops imposed a curfew in the area.

Wednesday's killings were the latest in a surge of violence before a general election in Israel on January 28 which Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is widely expected to win despite a corruption scandal that has engulfed his right-wing Likud party.

In East Jerusalem, the occupation army began sealing off the homes of the four Palestinians and demolished at least one of them.

The four are members of a cell of the resistance group Hamas which carried out a series of attacks, including the bombing of a cafeteria at Jerusalem's Hebrew University last July which killed seven people.

Israel regularly demolishes the homes of activists behind attacks, but it was the first time it had used the policy against residents of East Jerusalem who have Israeli identity cards and can obtain Israeli citizenship if they desire.

Israel says the policy is intended to deter Palestinians from joining activists behind a resistance bombing campaign as part of a 27-month-old uprising for Palestinian statehood, but it has been condemned by world leaders including the United States.

Israeli occupation forces killed a 16-year-old Palestinian in the West Bank city of Tulkarm during clashes with youths throwing stones and explosive devices, Palestinian sources said. The occupation army confirmed its occupation forces shot one person during the incident.

Palestinian residents said the occupation army later killed another 16-year-old in Tulkarm when he violated a military curfew.

The occupation army said it was checking the report.

In the northern West Bank village of Qabatiya, Israeli occupation soldiers killed a Palestinian man during an operation to arrest activists holed up in a house in the village.

Palestinian residents said the dead man had psychological problems and was shot dead when he came out of his house to watch occupation soldiers trying to force two members of the resistance al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to surrender.

The two surrendered after a brief gun battle. The occupation army said its occupation forces killed the man because they thought he had explosives strapped to his body and would attack them.

An occupation army spokeswoman said the occupation soldiers fired at the man after he ignored calls to stop and warning shots.

CELL'S DISCOVERY SHOCKED ISRAELIS

Israelis were shocked at the discovery of the Hamas cell in East Jerusalem. One of the members was a painter at the Hebrew University. He planted the bomb which blew up in the cafeteria, and the next day was hired to repaint the scorched building.

Israel captured East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in a move not recognized internationally.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as their future capital.

East Jerusalem residents are issued with Israeli identity cards and can work and travel freely in the Jewish state.
International efforts to end the violence have so far failed.

International mediators ended a conference in London on Tuesday by urging Israel not to undermine the reform process in the Palestinian Authority and by telling the Palestinians they must do more to halt violence.

Palestinian delegates participated in the meeting by videolink from the West Bank and Gaza Strip after Israel refused to heed Prime Minister Tony Blair 's personal request to allow the officials to attend the conference.

Israel banned Palestinian officials from attending the meeting after two Palestinian resistance bombers killed 23 people in back-to-back attacks in Tel Aviv last week.

Wednesday's deaths brought the toll to at least 1,782 Palestinians and 694 Israelis killed since the Palestinian uprising began in September 2000 after peace talks stalled.

PHOTO CAPTION

The brother of Jamal Abu Al-Qumbuz, who was killed by Israeli occupation troops near Karni crossing east Gaza City on Monday, weeps beside his brother's body during his funeral in the Al Eslah mosque in Gaza Strip January 14, 2003. The Palestinian Authority plans to tell a Middle East peace conference in London that Israel is blocking its efforts to carry out democratic reforms, Palestinian officials said on Monday. Israel barred Palestinian officials from the conference after twin resistance bombings in Tel Aviv last week killed 23 people, but the officials said three Palestinians would address the meeting by videophone from the West Bank city of Ramallah. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadall