Christian residents in Beit Jala and the Bethlehem region plan to turn to the Vatican and other Christian bodies, in an effort to have them pressure Arafat to stop the attacks on Israel from their neighborhoods. \"The shooting is designed to escalate the violence,\" a local Christian source told Itim News Agency, \"and to cause deaths among the Christian population.\" Israel retaliated strongly last night against the frequent shootings at Jerusalem\'s Gilo neighborhood, and bombarded at least one building that had been used to launch attacks. Many reports have been received over the past months of Arab gunmen taking over Beit Jala houses and shooting at Israeli targets.