Israeli forces launched a large-scale ground operation into the West Bank city of Nablus Sunday morning, targeting what Israel says were Palestinian terrorist cells.

Witnesses said that up to 60 military vehicles along with some bulldozers rolled into the city's old district and imposed a curfew, adding that Israeli soldiers positioned themselves inside the houses.

Clashes sparked between militants, stone throwers, and Israeli soldiers. Israeli sources said that two soldiers were wounded. Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli army arrested at least six people in the west part of the city after they took refuge in a house.

Meanwhile, Israeli Radio reported that two Israeli soldiers were injured in the armed clashes that erupted between the Israeli forces and the Palestinian gunmen in the city. The sources added that today's incursion was the biggest since 2002 Operation Defensive Shield.

The Israeli troops also laid siege to the National Hospital in the city where the soldiers verified the identities of people being admitted and treated. This purpose of this measure is to help locate suspected militants.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health issued a statement demanding the siege on hospitals to be lifted.

Meanwhile, local media reported that Israel's Supreme Planning Council for Judea and Samaria recently legalized the largest-ever illegal construction project, which was partially situated on Palestinian private land in the village of Bil'in in the West Bank.

The plan includes the construction of 42 buildings containing about 1,500 apartments in the neighborhood of Matityahu East, which is located in the large ultra-Orthodox settlement of Modi'in Illit, Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported Sunday.

Peace Now, Israeli peace protest movement, and Bil'in residents filed a petition against the construction a week ago at the High Court of Justice.

The petitioners' attorney Michael Sfard said the planning authorities knew about the illegal circumstances and did nothing to stop the construction.

The petition said that the planning council's decision would "bury the criminal act and the impaired rights of ownership deep in the earth, and would quickly lead to continued construction of the neighborhood."

Justice Salim Joubran ordered the state to respond to the petition by March 6.

About one year ago, the Israeli High Court ordered a halt on the construction and occupation of the building following another petition by Peace Now and Palestinian residents in Bil'in, a small village separated in two parts by Israeli barrier. Israel began building the barrier in 2002, saying the complex of concrete walls, razor wire and trenches was intended to keep Palestinian suicide bombers out of Israel.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)