ISRAELI tanks pushed into central Gaza early Monday, hours before Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was to ask his parliament to outlaw suicide bombings and reaffirm a commitment to peace with Israel.

　　Israeli military sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation in Gaza was local, not an attempt to reoccupy the area. When the mission was completed, the soldiers would withdraw, he said.

　　The Palestinian Security Directorate called the military move "dangerous escalation" and an Israeli attempt to "sabotage all efforts by the Palestinian Authority to implement the understanding" to ease tensions in Gaza by turning areas back to Palestinian control.

　　Arafat's draft copy of the speech at the parliament meeting was released to the press by his office. The text said: "The Palestinian people are standing against all types of terrorism, whether it is state terror or individual terror. The Palestinian Legislative Council has to protect Palestinian national interests through final recognition of the state of Israel and the right of its people to live in peace and security."

　　The speech also argued that Palestinian bomb attacks gave Israel justification for harsh retaliation.

　　Violence continued Sunday ahead of the parliamentary session in the West Bank. Palestinian security officials said two people were killed by Israeli tank fire in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, as Israeli forces advanced along the main Gaza road, encircling three refugee camps.

　　Israeli military sources said troops identified two men on foot moving under cover of darkness toward the fence between Israeli and Palestinian territory and opened fire.