Despite criticism, Israel forces patrol Ramallah

A gunman fires at an Israeli tank in Ramallah. His position disappeared in a cloud of smoke moments later when the tank returned fire.

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli forces roamed the streets of Ramallah amid scattered gunfire Wednesday as President Bush criticized their incursion into Palestinian territory.

Israeli troops tightened their grip on Ramallah, moving further into the center of town. The Israeli government says its intensified military campaign is meant to root out Palestinian terror operations, but Palestinians say the offensive has resulted in the deaths of many innocents and is a form of terror itself.

In Washington, Bush told a White House news conference the Israeli move would not improve the chances for a peace agreement.

"I understand someone trying to defend themselves and to fight terror, but the recent actions aren't helpful," Bush said.

His comments came as about 20,000 Israeli troops are engaged in military operations in Gaza and at Ramallah in the West Bank, according to the Israeli military. Washington has called on both sides to end the violence, but the Bush administration is also stepping up its public and private criticism of Israel.

Speaking during a visit to Egypt, Vice President Dick Cheney said the "burden is on both" Israel and the Palestinians "to bring an end to the violence" wracking the Middle East and praised a U.N. Security Council resolution describing a vision of a Palestinian state co-existing with Israel.

GALLERY Scenes from Ramallah    VIDEO CNN's Ben Wedeman says lightly armed Palestinians are no match for Israeli heavy weapons (March 13) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) CNN's Mike Hanna says while Israelis and Palestinians welcome U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni's visit, neither side promises a resolution to the violence (March 13) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES • TIME.com: Sharon's strategy  • Italian journalist dies in Mideast  • Powell comments on Zinni trip  • Jordan warns Cheney over Iraq    EXTRA INFORMATION Map: Raiding refugee camps

The vice president's trip, along with the return of Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni to the region Thursday, indicate a renewed U.S. diplomatic effort to calm tensions.

In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Wednesday, Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer urged Israel to "cease and desist," a State Department official who told CNN.

Kurtzer told Sharon the Israeli forces "must get out of Ramallah before Zinni gets there," the official said. The official said Kurtzer also urged Sharon to "stop attacks on humanitarian operations -- shooting at hospitals, humanitarian workers," actions Israel has denied.

Cheney is visiting the region as part of a 12-nation tour. Earlier Wednesday, the vice president spoke to a group of American troops stationed in Egypt: He said the U.N. Security Council resolution that "affirms a vision" of a Palestinian state is a "positive statement" regarding the hopes for the region.

The resolution described "a vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders," Cheney said. (Details of resolution)

Mubarak said he and Cheney agreed on the need to speed up efforts to resume the peace process and lashed out at Israel's "policy of collective punishment" and "humiliation" of Palestinian civilians.

At the United Nations, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan also praised the Security Council resolution, and said an effective third party must help both sides stop the violence and go back to the negotiating table.

Annan also said he plans to attend the Arab League summit in Beirut, Lebanon, later in the month.

Israeli offensive pushes deeper into Ramallah

Israel's intensified military campaign began late Monday and continued into Wednesday, with fierce gun battles reported at Palestinian refugee camps.

Fighting has been particularly fierce at the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza and in Ramallah in the West Bank. In Ramallah, residents Wednesday remained indoors as the fighting continued with no indication of a cease-fire.

The incursions into Ramallah have become a point of contention between Israel and the United States.

Palestinian security sources said a deputy commander for Force 17, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat's personal guard, was killed during clashes with Israeli forces at the southern entrance to Ramallah. And the Israeli army released a statement that an Israeli officer was killed in Ramallah.

In addition, Palestinian sources said a Palestinian policeman was killed in Ramallah Wednesday evening. No further details were available.

In other incidents, Israeli security sources said a Palestinian armed with a knife stabbed an Israeli in the Jewish settlement of Nachlieli in the West Bank. The Israeli was in serious condition and the army launched searches for the assailant.

In Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said a Palestinian gunman opened fire on a vehicle near the Gush Kattif settlement. The army killed the gunman and said his body was strapped with explosives.

Israeli tanks were near Manara Square, the symbolic heart of Ramallah, where Palestinian fighters were confronting them.

The IDF denies Palestinian claims that it is surrounding the governmental hospital compound in Ramallah.

In all, the fighting has left at least 37 Palestinians dead, including 17 at the Jabaliya camp in northern Gaza that has long been a hotbed for Palestinian nationalism. Seven Israelis were killed Tuesday, with six of those slain in a terrorist attack when two Palestinian gunmen -- disguised as Israeli army officers -- opened fire on motorists in northern Israel near the Lebanese border, authorities said.

The seventh Israeli was killed and another wounded in a separate incident in the Ramallah area, according to Israeli medical sources, who said the victims came under fire while working on a road.

Sharon, defense minister spar over tactics

There has been friction within the Israeli government over the Ramallah operation. At a security Cabinet meeting Wednesday, the operation's effectiveness spurred a dispute between Sharon and Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, but Ben-Eliezer later agreed to continue the military operation in the West Bank town.

Two Israeli Cabinet ministers -- members of the right-wing National Union party -- handed in their resignation letters, saying Sharon was not taking strong enough action against the Palestinians.

Also, an Italian journalist was killed while covering the fighting in Ramallah.

Raffaele Ciriello, a free-lance photographer on assignment for the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, was killed in Ramallah early Wednesday while covering the conflict. The Israeli Defense Forces expressed deep regret for the death and said it is investigating the incident. (Full story)

A colleague of Ciriello said they had been following Palestinian gunmen through the city. Without warning, an Israeli tank pulled around a corner and opened fire, hitting the photographer six times in the torso.

An Egyptian journalist in Ramallah was hit in the side with a bullet but was saved by a flak jacket, and a French photojournalist was also wounded.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said both the Israelis and the Palestinians need to do more to end the bloodshed.

"We don't give the Israelis a green light for their actions. We've been quite clear on our view of some these actions," Boucher said. "We've been quite clear that we expect both sides to take steps immediately to reduce the violence. We have seen as well -- during this horrible period that we've experienced since the announcement of Zinni's travel -- we've seen suicide bombers, shootings in school yards and other actions taken against Israelis."