Bethlehem, West Bank ? Israeli troops on Friday re-entered a West Bank town to grab several suspected militants, while eight Palestinian youths who walked out of the besieged Church of the Nativity were allowed to go home after a night in Israeli detention. A ninth teen-ager was kept in custody.

The Israeli raid of the West Bank town of Qalqiliya was part of a new stage in Israel’s campaign against Palestinian militants, following a three-week military offensive during which troops occupied six of eight West Bank towns.

Israel has said it would no longer rely on the Palestinian Authority to go after suspected militants, and would send troops into Palestinian-run areas whenever there was information about suspects. This approach means that the boundaries between Israeli- and Palestinian-controlled areas in the West Bank have been blurred.

In Friday’s incursion, about 15 armored vehicles rolled into Qalqiliya, and soldiers went directly to the homes of suspected militants, arresting three. Others had gone into hiding, Palestinian officials said. Two dozen more Palestinians were arrested in villages around Qalqiliya.

“We have no choice but to launch these incursions to prevent attacks,” said Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer. “There is no intention on our part to remain here.”

At Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, there were growing signs that Israeli-Palestinian negotiations on ending a 24-day standoff was reaching its final phase. More than 200 Palestinians, including about 30 militiamen, have been holed up inside one of Christianity’s holiest shrines since April 2, surrounded by Israeli troops.

The dispute has been narrowed down to whether six wanted Palestinians in the church will be escorted to Gaza, as the Palestinians propose, or be sent into exile, as Israel demands, said Palestinian negotiator Salah Taameri, who was to meet Saturday with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to discuss the deal.

On Thursday, nine Palestinians, ages 14 to 20, left the church, bringing with them two rotting corpses, in an agreement with the Israelis. Eight were allowed to go home Friday, after a night of questioning by Israeli forces. A ninth, 16-year-old Hamza el-Hmur, was kept in custody, with military officials saying the youth would be further interrogated, and may be released if his offenses were deemed minor.

Mohammed Habib, 15, one of the nine youths, said soldiers questioned him and the others closely about the identity of the Palestinian militants holed up in the church.

In the Gaza Strip, Palestinians said a woman was shot and killed by Israeli forces early Friday near the Gaza-Egypt border. The Israeli military said Palestinians attacked Israeli soldiers with gunfire, grenades and a mortar shell in a battle that lasted for several hours.

Meanwhile, Israel was preparing for the weekend arrival of a U.N. fact-finding team that is to look into eight days of fighting in the Jenin refugee camp. Palestinians allege a massacre took place, while Israel says it fought an intense battle with Palestinian gunmen, and it did all it could to avoid civilian casualties.

Ben-Eliezer’s adviser, Yarden Vatikay, declined comment on reports that Israel was seeking immunity for army officers who testify to the team in case any criminal charges result from the investigation.

The Israelis want the team to meet victims of Palestinian terror attacks, and wants the right by both sides to review the team’s report for comment before it is submitted to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Israel Radio said.

In Ramallah, Palestinian security officials said soldiers threw grenades Friday near the building to which Arafat has been confined since the start of the Israeli offensive. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.

Israel’s policy of isolating Arafat appeared to be unraveling. A line of diplomats has visited the embattled Palestinian leader in recent days. On Thursday, the Turkish and Greek foreign ministers entered the compound. The two, representing countries that were traditional enemies, are on a joint mission to show that rivals can overcome their differences.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa said Arafat showed them the damage caused to his office by Israeli gunfire and described the difficulties faced by the Palestinian people.

As a condition to lifting the siege, Israel is demanding that Arafat turn over the assassins of Israeli Cabinet Minister Rehavam Zeevi.

Instead, the four suspects were put on trial in Arafat’s office, with police serving as lawyers and judges. After a one-day makeshift session, they were sentenced to terms ranging from one to 18 years, Palestinian officials said.

Israel rejected the procedure. Ben-Eliezer called it “the best show in town,” and Sharon said, ‘”They will anyway be brought to trial in Israel.”

Meanwhile, Danny Ayalon, Sharon’s top foreign policy aide, said Sharon was considering allowing Arafat to leave the office for the Gaza Strip to test his ability and resolve to crack down on militants there. Ayalon said Israel has not presented its proposal to Arafat.