BETHLEHEM, 19 October — Israeli helicopter gunships yesterday killed a leader of Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement as well as two other Fatah activists in Bethlehem, Palestinian security officials said.

The rocket strike killed Ataf Abayat and two other Fatah members, Jamal Abed Ala and Salah Artekh as they were going in jeep in east Bethlehem. Abayat was a member of Fatah’s Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.

Earlier, Israeli tanks moved into two Palestinian-ruled areas, sparking battles in which three Palestinians, including a girl, were killed as Palestinian officials rejected an Israeli ultimatum to hand over the assassins of an Israeli minister.

Israeli tanks took position on the outskirts of the two West Bank towns. Troops accompanied by bulldozers set up new fortifications, once again tightly sealing the blockade around them.

A 10-year-old girl, Rahim Ward, was killed in the Israeli action in Jenin and two Palestinians were shot dead during the incursion north of Ramallah — one a member of the Palestinian security forces and the other of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s presidential guard, Force 17.

The two Palestinians were gunned down when at least seven tanks moved into autonomous Palestinian zones and armored bulldozers started demolishing anti-tank defenses. Nineteen people were also injured, including four more Jenin schoolgirls, when bullets and two army shells penetrated their school, Palestinian hospital sources said.

Israel issued an ultimatum after the killing Wednesday morning of Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi, warning of "serious action" if the Palestinian Authority did not hand over the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) members who carried out the killing.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said the Palestinian Authority would stick to its policy of not listening to Israeli ultimatums and insisted that peace accords contained no provision for Israel to demand the extradition of suspects.

Arafat aide Nabil Abu Rudainah said Israel had a "complete plan" to assassinate Arafat and other officials but gave no details.