Pope John Paul II appealed to Katsav (L) to allow Christians free access this Christmas to Bethlehem

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, December 13 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Contradicting remarks made Thursday, December 12, during a meeting between Israeli President Moshe Katsav and Pope John Paul II, a senior Israeli officer said that the army is not planning to withdraw forces from the West Bank city of Bethlehem prior to the Christmas holiday.

The officer said it is unlikely that the Israeli forces would withdraw from the Bethelehm before December 25, though there would be an alleviation in the closure imposed on the city according to the situation, the Israeli daily newspaper Ha'aretz reported Friday, December 13, quoting Israel Radio.

In talks with visiting Israeli President Moshe Katsav Thursday, December 12, Pope John Paul II, appealed for Christians to be allowed free access this Christmas to Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Christ (Allah’s peace be upon him).

In a meeting with the Pope Thursday, Katsav promised that the Israeli forces will re-deploy outside the pilgrim city during Christmas if there are no warnings of attacks.

The Vatican urged Israel to allow "free access" during the holiday season in Bethlehem, where the Israeli army forces are patrolling Manger Square after occupying the town. 

The Israeli military occupation of Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Christ, is Israel's third in recent months.

Also Thursday, there were reports that the Israeli government was considering whether to allow Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to travel to Bethlehem for his annual Christmas visit. Last year, Israel prevented the Palestinian president from making the trip, the first time that he had not been present since his return to the occupied Palestinian territories in 1994.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces shot dead a Palestinian man near Bethlehem, raising the number of casualties to eight Palestinians in less than 24 hours.

Israeli military sources claimed their forces returned fire after the man shot in their direction, adding that the body would be handed over later Friday.

The name of the late fatality, who allegedly tried to escape abduction, was not immediately available.

Late Thursday, a Palestinian resistance activist was killed in a gunfight with Israeli soldiers outside the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). 

It was the second deadly shooting of the day after the Israeli army shot dead five unarmed civilians near the Karni crossing point between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel.

The bodies were discovered in the morning with ladders next to them. The five were not immediately identified nor handed back to the Palestinians.

Israeli Border police also gunned down one of two Palestinians allegedly trying to infiltrate a colonial settlement in the southern Gaza Strip.