Hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared war on what he called Yasser Arafat's "terrorist infrastructure" tanks were on the move into two Palestinian towns in the West Bank. Mr Sharon had been speaking in a televised address to the nation after two suicide bombings killed 17 people and injured more than 30 on Sunday. In his television address, Mr Sharon said Israel was "at war", and described Mr Arafat as the head of a "coalition of terror," who was directing attacks against Israeli citizens. Israeli forces are in control of Qalqilya, close to the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Netanya, which have both been targeted by Palestinian suicide bombers. And at dawn on Monday, tanks entered Bethlehem, approaching within 500 metres of the Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ.

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