Hanna: Deadly Palestinian-Israeli clashes

CNN's Mike Hanna

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli forces swept into a village near Ramallah on Wednesday, killing a number of Palestinians, including members of three militant groups. Several people were arrested.

The exact numbers of those killed and arrested was in dispute. The Israel Defense Forces said five were killed and 10 arrested. Palestinian sources said 10 died and 20 were arrested.

CNN's Jerusalem Bureau Chief Mike Hanna filed the following report:

HANNA: It's an escalation in tensions that began a week ago with the assassination of an Israeli government minister, and one that is continuing Wednesday with conflict happening around the West Bank.

There has been firing under way in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. There have been exchanges of fire throughout the day. Indeed, throughout much of the past week, Bethlehem has been a center of this ongoing conflict as Israeli forces take up new positions in autonomous Palestinian territory.

Getting back to the incident in a village north of Ramallah -- information is scarce at the moment in terms of what exactly happened there. There are reports that Israeli forces took up positions within the village. The Israel Defense Forces say they have killed at least five Palestinians, all of whom, say the Israel Defense Forces, were militant members of Hamas or the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine movement.

The Israel Defense Forces also say they have warned the Palestinian Authority 30 minutes before entering the village that they would not take action against any of those who reacted peacefully to the Israeli deployment.

Information from the Palestinian side is scarce. There has been a complete blockade around that village. The ambulances -- even of the Palestine Red Crescent -- have been forbidden entry to go and get the wounded out.

It is understood that as many as 10 Palestinians have been killed -- many of them believed to be civilians -- and dozens have been injured in what appears to be the most intensive Israeli operation undertaken, even given the standards of a week of ongoing conflict.

CNN: U.S. President Bush called for the Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian-ruled areas. What has been the Israeli response to that?

HANNA: The Israeli response from the ground has been what we've seen. And that is an even greater deployment of its forces despite a call from the United States that the Israeli forces withdraw immediately. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has addressed the country's parliament, and he says the forces will remain in their position until, in his words, "their mission is completed."

There's absolute outrage from the Palestinians, who accuse the Israelis of contravening every agreement that has been signed between the two parties, and indeed of contravening a cease-fire that has reportedly been in place. The Palestinians have renewed a plea to the United States to enforce the U.S. demand that Israeli forces withdraw.

From the Israeli side, there are no signs whatsoever that Israel will do anything other than what it deems necessary to do at this particular stage, even if that means defying the United States.