The activities of the last two days have been called the army\'s largest ground offensive since the beginning of the Rosh HaShanah Arab Assault. The army gave advance warning to the PA security agencies, in order not to drag those of them who are still \"fence sitting\" into the fighting; the 20 Palestinians who were killed in the fighting were engaged in private initiatives to ambush the Israeli forces. Tanks and infantry moved into the cities, with air cover from combat helicopters, and in some cases engineering units came in to destroy PA military buildings.
In Bethlehem, the forces reached the Paradise Hotel, a symbol of tourism in the city but which has of late become a PA military post; shots have been fired from there at Rachel\'s Tomb. In Kalkilye, the forces removed the Palestinian flag from atop the military headquarters and replaced it with an Israeli flag. Tanks entered Tul Karem from four directions, and came within 500 meters of the PA military headquarters there. Th Israeli flag was unfurled atop several buildings in Tul Karem.
In Bethlehem, the forces reached the Paradise Hotel, a symbol of tourism in the city but which has of late become a PA military post; shots have been fired from there at Rachel\'s Tomb. In Kalkilye, the forces removed the Palestinian flag from atop the military headquarters and replaced it with an Israeli flag. Tanks entered Tul Karem from four directions, and came within 500 meters of the PA military headquarters there. Th Israeli flag was unfurled atop several buildings in Tul Karem.