Sharon, Arafat get calls from Bush urging end to violence

Palestinians in Hebron aims stones at Israeli soldiers during clashes on Wednesday

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat got calls from U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday urging them both to halt the violence in the Middle East.

Officials in Washington said Bush told both leaders that now is the time to end the cycle of conflict that has so far killed more than 500 people in the last eight months.

The Israeli military -- now under orders not to fire unless fired on in life-threatening situations -- said Wednesday that Israeli troops and civilians had been attacked by Palestinians in two separate incidents.

Palestinian officials charged earlier that Israeli forces had crossed over into Palestinian-controlled territory in three places.

VIDEO In an exclusive interview with CNN, former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell talks about the report (May 21) Part 1 |  Part 2 (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Watch the news conference by the Mitchell Committee (part 1) (May 21) Part 1 |  Part 2    RESOURCES Full text of the Mitchell Committee's report (from the Meridian International Center website) Requires Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™ Click here to download the reader.    CNN ACCESS Peres: 'Our enemies are not the Palestinians' Erakat: Mitchell report can provide a way out Mitchell: No such thing 'as conflict that can't be ended'    ALSO Palestinians reject ceasefire call

The Israel Defense Forces denied that, saying they were conducting "sensing work" along the borders between Israel and the Palestinian territories. They said Israeli troops were sent in to protect those operations from "existing threats."

The IDF said Palestinian gunmen had "fired continuously" at an IDF force on the Israeli-Egyptian border in southern Gaza.

The IDF said at least four anti-tank grenades were fired at the force.

Israeli troops returned fire. There were no injuries to Israeli soldiers, the IDF said.

In a second incident, the IDF said one Israeli civilian was critically wounded and one lightly wounded by shots fired at them while they doing construction work at a junction near Ariel in the West Bank.

The IDF said that when its forces arrived, they came under fire and returned fire.

On Tuesday evening, Sharon called for the Palestinians to cease firing and promised that if they did, Israel would do the same.

Later, Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer ordered the IDF "to cease fire and to follow the regulations of opening fire which are operative in life-threatening situations only."

A senior Palestinian official said Wednesday that Sharon's call for a cease-fire was only a maneuver, which the Palestinians reject.

"I think it's only a maneuver as a result of the Israeli isolation in the world arena," said Ahmed Abdel Rahman. "Israel is under heavy criticism because of excessive use of force against the Palestinian people -- especially air raids on Palestinian cities, and using Apache and F-16s against our people. So it's only a maneuver. We reject this maneuver.

"We said we accept the Mitchell report -- we accept it and we need to implement it completely."

Rahman said Sharon "sabotaged" the Mitchell report by refusing to freeze settlement activity.

"He sabotaged the Mitchell report instead of accepting it when he said that he will continue building settlements," said Rahman. "So what does the Mitchell report mean? Sharon wants to continue building settlements, therefore there will be no peace. Therefore if the occupation continues and the Israeli army continues raiding Palestinian cities and people. So what does it mean when he accepts Mitchell Report?"

Sharon has said he accepted the committee's recommendation of a cease-fire, followed by a cooling-off period, confidence-building measures and finally, peace negotiations.

Asked if he would freeze settlement activity, Sharon said that U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had emphasized "there is no link between the end of violence and the question of the settlements. That issue has to be discussed later on between the parties."

An independent, international committee headed by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell issued its Mideast report Monday calling for a halt to the violence, a cooling-off period, confidence-building measures and a timetable for a return to negotiations. (More on the report)