Israeli forces entered Bethlehem today for the first time in six months in a sweep for militants after a Palestinian policeman from the city killed 10 Israelis in a suicide bombing on a Jerusalem bus.
Palestinian witnesses said Israeli vehicles went into Bethlehem before daybreak and troops searched houses, including one where the policeman - a member of the militant Al Aqsa Brigades - was thought to have lived.
Witnesses said soldiers detained 12 Palestinians. About 15 Israeli armoured vehicles took part in the operation.
"The operation was launched after we made clear the Palestinians had not fulfilled their obligations to stop terror, something which was made clear in yesterday's bombing," an army spokeswoman said.
Elsewhere, details are emerging of soldiers shooting dead a Hamas militant near the West Bank city of Hebron.