AMY GOODMAN: The Israeli army stormed back into Bethlehem and the nearby refugee camp of Dheisheh. Troops and armored vehicles took up positions today in different parts of the town, including outside the Church of the Nativity. They declared the whole area a, quote, “closed military zone” and off-limits to the press. The army is also encircling Tulkarem, and Palestinian sources also reported raids overnight in Hebron and four nearby villages, where dozens more were taken prisoner. Meanwhile, Israel’s army chief warned of bigger raids on Palestinian cities as the tide of suicide bombings rises.

President Bush said that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat had a chance to secure peace, but has not delivered. The New York Times reported Sunday there’s an intense debate within the Bush administration over whether to try to force Arafat to resign.

We go now to the Dheisheh refugee camp, where Barbara Lubin is standing by. She’s director of the Middle East Children’s Alliance.

Welcome to Democracy Now!, Barbara.

BARBARA LUBIN: Thanks, Amy.

AMY GOODMAN: Can you describe what’s happening right now?

BARBARA LUBIN: I can do that. I can’t talk too loudly. But at 3:30 this morning, Israeli jeeps went up and down the street of Bethlehem, in this whole area, and in front of our refugee camp of Dheisheh, telling people that we’re under a curfew, that nobody’s allowed out of their home. And from that point on, tanks started entering Bethlehem, al-Khader, the whole area here. And now, just a few minutes ago, two tanks have entered and are right in front of the guest house here in Dheisheh refugee camp, where we’re staying. There’s five Americans here, and we have with us five Palestinian young men who are taking care of us.

And it’s been unbelievable. A child was shot. I don’t know what happened. We could, from the fourth floor, peek out and see that his father carried him out. He looked very small. He may be 5, 6 years old. The ambulance came and took him to the hospital. And there are military jeeps all around in the camp, all over, and there’s five tanks on the street and two that have just pulled in right in front of us. So, nobody knows how long this lasts. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. But there have also been around three, four large bulldozers that have pulled up and are stationed outside, and I have no idea what they plan to do.

AMY GOODMAN: Well, we will certainly follow up this story tomorrow, Barbara Lubin, director of the Middle East Children’s Alliance, speaking from the Dheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank.