A Palestinian was killed tonight by an Israeli tank shell in the Dheishe refugee camp, near Bethlehem, raising to 46 the death toll for the day, Palestinian security officials said.
The man's body was completely charred and his identity was not immediately known, the sources said, adding that his death was the seventh in the area of the refugee camp during the day amid heavy clashes.
Today's violence follows the decision to send the US envoy back to the region to broker a ceasefire.
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Israeli tanks take up positions as the army sent troops and tanks backed by helicopters into the West Bank city of Bethlehem today. Photograph: Reuters
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Earlier today Israel sent tanks and helicopters into towns in the Gaza Strip, killing 20 Palestinians. Another 10 were killed in the northern West Bank.
The violence came soon after an attack on the Gaza Strip Jewish settlement of Atzmona in which a Palestinian killed five Israelis before being shot dead.
Afterwards, Israeli armoured cars, tanks and bulldozers entered the villages of Khuzaa and Abassan, near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Those operations left 16 Palestinians dead and around 10 arrested before the Israeli forces pulled out shortly after dawn.
Another Palestinian was killed by the Israeli army in the northern West Bank town of Tulkarem, raising to seven the number of Palestinians shot dead in the area, Palestinian hospital sources said.
An Israeli soldier was also killed in the area in exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Palestinians, a military spokesman said.
Among the dead from one incursion was the Palestinian public security chief for the southern Gaza Strip, 62-year-old Gen Ahmad Mufrij. He was the most senior Palestinian security official to be killed since the beginning of the intifada in September 2000.
North of Gaza City, four Palestinians, including two policeman and an ambulance worker, were killed when Israeli gunboats and helicopters fired missiles at a police post. Medical workers said their colleague was killed by an Israeli missile while trying to reach the injured.
The bloodshed was also continuing in the northern West Bank, as Israeli forces pulled out of the refugee camp of Nur el-Shams but continued to occupy Tulkarem city and refugee camp. Five Palestinians were killed in clashes in the refugee camp, security sources said. A 10-year-old boy was also shot dead in the autonomous city.
In the West Bank town of Bethlehem, three Palestinian were killed and dozens injured in clashes with the Israeli army in Aida refugee camp.
US President Mr George W. Bush ordered US envoy Mr Anthony Zinni back to the region next week and said Vice-President Mr Dick Cheney would also seek to quell violence there during an upcoming visit.
Mr Bush's policy reversal came only hours after US officials insisted Mr Zinni would only return after the parties had lowered the level of violence - and after Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon brushed aside US criticism of his fierce retaliation for attacks by Palestinian militants.
But an advisor to Palestinian leader Mr Yasser Arafat said the Israeli army's deadly operations in the Palestinian territories are aimed at "sabotaging the upcoming mission" of US envoy Anthony Zinni.
AFP