Jerusalem ? American diplomats told skeptical Palestinian officials Thursday that Israel’s plan to pull out of the Gaza Strip brought an opportunity to revive the “road map” peace initiative, but they said future progress would depend on a Palestinian crackdown on militants.

The U.S. envoys met with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia in the West Bank town of Jericho to discuss Israel’s pull out plan and road map peace plan. The team then had two hours of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but no details were disclosed.

Hours later, Israeli tanks entered the Rafah refugee camp on the Gaza-Egypt border early today and exchanged heavy fire with Palestinian gunmen, residents and Palestinian security officials said. No casualties were reported. The Israeli military said a limited operation was under way, aimed at the tunnels used by Palestinians to smuggle weapons from Egypt.

In another development, Sharon said Israel might move against Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the future, Israel TV reported. Sharon made the remark during a series of news interviews ahead of next week’s Jewish Passover.

“Arafat cannot be so sure of himself in his place,” the Internet Web site of the Yediot Ahronot daily quoted Sharon as saying.

Sharon continued his tough talk against the Palestinian leader today, telling the Maariv newspaper, “Arafat has no insurance policy.”

The Israeli leader was also quoted as saying, “Today everyone knows that Arafat is the obstacle (blocking) any progress.”

Arafat has been confined to his West Bank headquarters for more than two years. Several months ago Israel’s Cabinet declared that Arafat was responsible for violence and should be “removed.”

Palestinian schoolgirls cry as they walk back from school during small-scale clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians in the West Bank city of Nablus. Israeli troops also exchanged fire with Palestinians Thursday and early today near the Egypt-Gaza border. No casualties were reported.

Sharon has proposed pulling Israeli troops and settlers out of Gaza and small parts of the West Bank. He says the Palestinian government is not a partner for peace talks and that a unilateral withdrawal is necessary to protect Israeli interests.

The American team is in the region to discuss Sharon’s plan, which he will present to President Bush in Washington on April 14.

The Palestinians want assurances the plan will be the first step toward a larger withdrawal from the West Bank, while Israel is seeking American support for limits on future Palestinian demands.

Qureia said he would welcome an Israeli pullback from Gaza, but only if it were part of the “road map.”