Israeli Army Besieges Bethlehem Church

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 22, 2002

Israeli Army Besieges Bethlehem Church

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Israeli army forces entered into the West Bank town of Bethlehem at predawn on Friday and besieged the Church of Nativity there to prevent militants from holding up into it, Palestinian witnesses said in Gaza Friday.

The witnesses said dozens of Israeli army tanks, armor vehicles, jeeps and troops re-took the whole West Bank town of Bethlehem, the town where Jesus Christ was born.

The Israeli army forces entered the town from different directions, supported by attack helicopters and under a shooting from heavy machineguns, the witnesses added.

In March, more than 100 Palestinians, most of them were militants, took refugees into the Church of Nativity when the Israeli army carried out the Defensive Shield operation into most of the West Bank towns including Bethlehem.

The crisis, which lasted for about 40 days, ended up with deporting 13 militants to several European countries and 25 others to the Gaza Strip while releasing all the rest.

The Israeli army pulled out from Bethlehem town about three months ago and returned it to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), according to an agreement, known as Bethlehem-Gaza first, reached between the two sides.

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