Hundreds of Israeli occupation soldiers backed by scores of tanks and other occupation army vehicles took control of the Palestinian city of Jenin on Friday in response to a resistance bombing that killed 14 people. The incursion into the West Bank, from where Israel says Monday's bombing was launched, was the biggest since an occupation army offensive in the West Bank in April.

Israel carried out the raid even though U.S. envoy William Burns is in the region discussing a "road map" for Middle East peacemaking. Washington wants an easing of tensions in the region as it seeks Arab support for possible war in Iraq.

Witnesses said occupation troops had commandeered 40 to 50 houses as stakeout posts in the battle-scarred city, reoccupied by the occupation army in June and under curfew for most of the time since then.

Palestinian hospital officials said two youths were shot and seriously injured as the tanks rumbled in during the night.
Armored vehicles and tanks made frequent rounds through the city streets, occasionally searching homes. Occupation soldiers exchanged fire sporadically with Palestinian resistance men, witnesses said.

A senior Israeli commander said the operation, dubbed "Vanguard," was intended to root out about 20 resistance men .Israel says Jenin is a stronghold of resistance man Islamic groups.

"This operation is an outgrowth of this week's suicide car bombing," he said. "Our intelligence indicates that the bombing encouraged the terrorist cell in Jenin, which is now rearming and winning new recruits."

In Monday's attack, the bomber drove a car packed with explosives into a bus near the northern Israeli city of Hadera. The resistance man Islamic Jihad group took responsibility and Israeli officials said the bomber was believed to be from Jenin.

U.S. WANTS CURFEWS ON PALESTINIANS EASED

Israel initially held back retaliation, apparently under pressure from the United States.

But on Friday, occupation army officers said they were prepared for an indefinite stay in Jenin to prevent new attacks inside Israel, just hours after Burns met Palestinian and Israeli officials separately.

After his talks, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat met to discuss easing a occupation army clampdown on Palestinian cities. Burns was due to hold fresh talks with Palestinian officials on Friday.

Washington wants Israel to ease crippling occupation army closures and curfews imposed on Palestinian areas since the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation began in September 2000.

Israel says the measures are needed to prevent attacks. the Palestinians call them a collective punishment.

Burns met Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Thursday evening in Jerusalem to discuss the U.S.-led peace plan, which has had a cool reception from Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Israeli leaders said the plan -- drafted by the "quartet" of mediators from the United States, Russia, the European Union and United Nations -- lacked security guarantees. The Palestinians said it needed timetables and enforcement mechanisms.

The plan calls for an end to violence, Palestinian administrative reforms and Israeli occupation army withdrawals from occupied cities, leading to a final settlement and Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by 2005.

At least 1,628 Palestinians and 618 Israelis have been killed in the uprising.

PHOTO CAPTION

A Palestinian medic and bystanders look at the body of a man at the hospital in the northern West Bank town of Jenin Monday Oct. 14, 2002. After nightfall Monday, two Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli occupation forces, Palestinian security officials said. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the two were members of the violent Islamic Jihad. The Israeli occupation army had no immediate comment. (AP Photo/Muhammed Balas)