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Israeli forces have raided the West Bank Palestinian town of Qalqilyah and several villages in search-and-arrest actions.

They took away at least 20 Palestinians suspected of taking part in anti-Israeli attacks. Armored vehicles entered during the night and troops stormed houses in Qalqilyah and three villages between the towns of Nablus and Jenin.

It was the second raid into Qalqilyah since Israeli forces pulled back to the outskirts of the town on April 9. Israel's Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer said the army doesn't intend to stay in Qalqilyah, but that it will carry out such anti-terror sweeps as needed.

Earlier, Israeli soldiers and Palestinians exchanged gunfire in the Gaza Strip near the Egyptian border. Palestinians say one woman was killed. The siege continues at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where at least 200 people, including armed Palestinians, have been surrounded by Israeli forces for more than three weeks.

On Thursday, nine Palestinian youths left the church, bringing with them the corpses of two slain men, under an agreement between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators. Israeli authorities Friday, allowed eight of the youths to return to their families, but they are keeping one teenager for further questioning on suspicion of anti-Israeli activity.

One of youths who left the church says the Israelis questioned him closely about the identity of the Palestinian militants still holed up there. He told reporters there are still about 20 teenaged boys among the besieged. He says the situation is terrible in the church, with no electricity or food. He says Israeli snipers have wounded several people trying to collect herbs in the church garden.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.