GAZA, March 1, 2004, (WAFA) - Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shelled, Monday dawn, Palestinian houses in the southern Gaza Strip City of Rafah, and arrested nine citizens in the West Bank, witnesses and security sources said.... IOF soldiers, stationed on the borders with Egypt, fired from heavy machineguns at the residents' houses, causing damages and spreading a state of panic among residents, mostly children, witnesse said.... Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said that the IOF bombarded, early Monday, several civilian houses in al-Zaytoon neighborhood in southren Gaza City, also using heavy gunfire.... Palestinian security sources confirmed that the Israeli tanks, stationed near a cement factory, shelled the houses with no injuries.... Earlier on Sunday, Israeli soldiers arrested five Palestinian police officers at an Israeli military checkpoint (Abu Houly), south of Deir Al Balah City in Gaza Strip.... Escalating its military actions in the West Bank, the IOF arrested nine civilians. In Hossan and Batteer, west of Bethlehem, they arrested seven residents, witnesses said.... In a telephone call with WAFA, residents of the refugee camp of Ein el-Ma, near Nablus, said four Israeli military jeeps broke into the area, stormed our house, and arrested Saed Darwazeh, 24".... Moreover, the IOF destroyed tents pitched on the ruins of three demolished houses that were recently levelled to ground by IOF in Al-Khader village of Bethlehem.... Meanwhile, IOF denied early Monday, access, to "Tayaseer" village, of hundreds of ageing civilians, patients and school boys. "Our entry was denied by the soldiers," said one of the residents standing in a long queue waiting to cross the checkpoint.... In a further development, more than12 armoured vehicles swept into Jenin supported by intensive gunfire, WAFA correspondent reported.... He added that the IOF soldiers stormed several houses and arrested Nimer al-'Absy, 24, resident of the city.... - -