GAZA, May 22: The Israeli army announced on Wednesday that its forces had divided the Gaza Strip into three separate areas after accusing the Palestinians of carrying out several armed attacks and firing mortar shells at Jewish settlements in the last few days.

A Palestinian Authority public security statement said that it condemns the Israeli army actions, adding that it would increase the suffering of the people and restrict free movement.

However, Palestinian residents of the central area in the Gaza Strip said that the Gaza Strip had been divided into three areas for about two months, adding that such restrictions had made their daily life very complicated.

Israeli radio reported that the Israeli army forces overnight blockaded the Gush Katif junction in the Gaza Strip, effectively cutting the narrow Gaza Strip into two separate areas. The Gaza Strip, with some 1.4 million Palestinians, has effectively been partitioned into three areas - the northern part that includes Gaza City and three villages, the central part that includes four refugee camps, a town and two villages, and the southern area that includes two refugee camps, two towns and three villages, the reports said.

In addition to dividing the narrow enclave of the Gaza Strip into three areas, the whole Gaza Strip has been under tightened closure since the beginning of the intifada in Sept 2000.

The closure had left more than 500,000 Palestinian workers unemployed for more than a year-and-a-half, according to Palestinian official and international statistics, and increased the percentage of poverty among the population.

A statement issued by the United Nations World Food (UNWFP) Programme called on Wednesday for urgent food supplies to about half a million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip who have been unable to get their basic daily needs.

In another development Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Wednesday met at his West Bank town of Ramallah the representatives of the multi-international committee of the US, Russia, the European Union and the UN to solve the Middle East conflict.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a top aide to Arafat, said that Arafat discussed with the four diplomats his speech before the members of Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) on May 15 on reforms.

He said that Arafat informed the four members of the committee that he is intending to make a reshuffle in his Palestinian National Authority (PNA) cabinet within the coming few days.

The issues that are related to the peace process were also raised and discussed as well as reconstructing what had been destroyed during the Israeli army incursions into the Palestinian territories, said Abu Rudeineh.

Abu Rudeineh said that the representatives also briefed Arafat on their activities and meeting, especially the last meeting held in Washington, adding that it was agreed to continue the meetings between the committee and the PNA.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the members of the committee informed Arafat that they supported the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The committee will act on three tracks, the political, the economical and the security, Erekat said, adding that Arafat asked the members of the committee to supply the PNA with logistic support to achieve the needed reforms.—dpa