A new wave of violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians could be Israeli plot to undermine the coming elections in the Palestinian territories, analysts said.

A Palestinian suicide bombing that left five Israelis dead in the northern Israeli city of Netanya on Monday was followed by Israeli clampdown and Palestinian retaliation.

The Palestinians accuse Israel of provoking and escalating the violence.

Suleiman Rajab, a Palestinian expert in political science, said that the Israelis are heating up the situation by carrying out arrests and raids in the West Bank, targeting leaders and members of radical groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The Israelis know in advance that these military operations would never crush militant groups who are always ready to retaliate, and Israel seems to drive militants to carry out attacks against it, said Rajab.

Chief Palestinian negotiator said that the Israeli escalation would only bring violence between the two sides.

"What we really need is a peace process that ends immediately the occupation of the Palestinian territories. What we need is to stop playing with the Palestinian cause and stop making benefits out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," said Erekat.

Palestinian analysts said that Israel was trying to use the mounting violence to disrupt the Palestinian legislative elections due on Jan. 25.

"Isolating towns and erecting more roadblocks in the West Bank would prevent the Palestinians from going to the polling stations freely," said Hazem Baousha, a spokesman of the Central Election Committee (CEC) in Gaza.

Sharon has made clear his opposition to Hamas participation in the legislative elections, and threatened to obstruct poll if Hamas was allowed to do so.

The terrorist bombing gave Israel excuse to detain Hamas activists, some of those decided to run in the elections, said Husam Abu Jam, a Palestinian graduate from Gaza and close to Hamas.

He added that Israel was totally mistaken that arresting Hamas leaders in the West Bank would weaken the movement or block its participation in the elections.

(Xinhua News Agnecy December 9, 2005)