Four Palestinians die in West Bank

A Palestinian receives first aid in Arabe after being wounded during an exchange of gunfire with Israeli troops

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Two suspected Hamas activists are among four Palestinians killed in the West Bank, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources.

The Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement said that Hamas militant Jamil Jaddala was killed by security forces in Hebron in a helicopter missile attack.

The office said he was planning to carry out an attack in Israel.

They said he is responsible for killing two Israelis and had been involved in dozens of attacks.

The Palestine Red Crescent confirmed a death in Hebron caused by an explosion.

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In Tulkarem, the Red Crescent said Abdullah Jaroushi, 42, was killed by Israeli army fire.

He was said to have been critically wounded and later died in a hospital. Israel Radio reported he was a Hamas militant. The Israeli army is checking the report.

Later, the Israel Defense Forces said two Palestinians were killed and two others escaped after they opened fire along a road between Shavei Shomron and Homesh, two Jewish settlements located between Nablus and Tulkarem.

The IDF said Israeli troops opened fire after they were fired on by the four Palestinians.

Palestinian sources said the men, who were driving in a jeep in the Israeli controlled area, were ambushed by the Israeli troops.

The sources said it was unclear what the men were doing in the Israeli controlled area.

In another development, Israeli military forces rolled into the village of Arabe on the West Bank early on Wednesday.

The incursion took place in an area under Palestinian military and political control. IDF would not provide any details of the operation.

Israel Radio reported IDF forces entered the village at 5 a.m. (10 p.m. EST on Tuesday) on a mission to arrest an Islamic Jihad activist, sparking a firefight between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian policemen.

The governor of the neighboring West Bank town of Jenin, Zuher Manasra, also described a gun battle in which two members of the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committee were injured as Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers surrounded Arabe early Wednesday morning.

Israeli soldiers then declared a curfew and arrested seven Palestinians, according to the governor.

Manasra said four of those arrested do not have ties to the Islamic Jihad, but added the rest are suspected Islamic Jihad activists.

Israel's move into Arabe came just two days after its forces completed a pullout from Bethlehem and Beit Jala.

Israel took up positions in six Palestinian towns, beginning with Bethlehem on October 18, after the killing of Israel's tourism minister, Rehavam Ze'evi. Israeli forces remain in four areas.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's adviser, Raanan Gissin, told CNN on Monday that the Israelis see the pullout from Beit Jala and Bethlehem as "a test case" for possible future pullouts.