ISRAEL Minister warns Arafat he's near expulsion

Apparently there are no immediate plans for the Palestinian leader.
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Yasser Arafat's expulsion is "closer than ever," the Israeli foreign minister warned in remarks broadcast today, as six Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
In the single deadliest episode, in the northern Gaza Strip, soldiers opened fire from a tank-mounted machine gun at Palestinians, killing at least three, including a 13-year-old boy, and wounding nine, Palestinian hospital officials said.
Power struggle
The fighting came as Arafat was embroiled in another power struggle with his prime minister, Ahmed Qureia, who submitted a letter of resignation earlier this week, his second since July. Arafat refused to accept the resignation, and Qureia left in a huff on a private trip to Jordan today.
It was not clear whether Qureia would stick to his decision to resign.
Arafat, meanwhile, became the target of renewed Israeli threats. Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom told supporters in a speech late Wednesday that Arafat's expulsion is "closer than ever" and that the Palestinian leader has no place in the region. The remarks were broadcast today on Israel Radio.
Earlier this week, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said the government remained committed to a security Cabinet decision from last year to remove Arafat.
However, senior government officials say there are no immediate plans to take action against Arafat.
Potential successor
The renewed threats by Shalom apparently came in the context of domestic Israeli politics. Shalom is seen as a potential successor to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as leader of the ruling Likud Party, and is courting hawkish activists.
Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat accused Israeli officials of inciting against Arafat. "I believe this is part of the strategy of destroying the Palestinian Authority and harming the president," Erekat said.
Arafat has been confined to his battered headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah for more than two years. Israel accuses Arafat of encouraging militant groups to attack Israel -- an allegation Arafat denies.
Repeated threats
Israel has repeatedly threatened to expel the veteran Palestinian leader. But the United States opposes such a step, and Sharon has complied with Washington's wishes. It also appears unlikely he would risk destabilizing the region further at a time when he is trying to push ahead with his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip in 2005, as part of a unilateral "disengagement" from the Palestinians. Sharon hopes the plan will enable Israel to hold on to large West Bank settlement blocs.
In fighting today, Israeli forces exchanged fire with Palestinians on the outskirts of the sprawling Jebaliya refugee camp. One gunman was killed and three were wounded when an Israeli attack helicopter fired two missiles toward the area.
Later Thurday, soldiers fired from a tank-mounted machine gun toward a group of Palestinians in the adjacent town of Beit Lahia, killing three and wounding nine, hospital officials said. Some of the Palestinians were throwing stones, and others were bystanders, witnesses said.
The army declined to comment.
Troops have been operating in the area since Wednesday to try to stop the firing of homemade rockets from northern Gaza at Israeli towns. On Wednesday, militants fired eight homemade "Qassam" rockets, but no one was hurt.