Battle rages in Palestinian camp

Fighting between Palestinians and Israeli troops is raging through densely populated refugee camps in the West Bank, with reports of heavy loss of life in the northern town of Jenin.

Residents at the Jenin refugee camp said they feared a "massacre" was taking place, and one Palestinian fighter said he had counted 30 dead bodies.

Israeli air force commander Dan Halutz told a news conference that seven soldiers had been killed over the past two days in Jenin.

Fierce clashes were also reported in Nablus, the biggest Palestinian city in the West Bank, where Israel forces attacked targets in its historic market area and surrounded the Balata refugee camp.

The Palestinians have appealed for international intervention

Israeli forces pushed ahead with its military offensive despite an American warning to stop incursions into Palestinian towns "without delay" ahead of US Secretary of State Colin Powell's tour of the region.