RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian prime minister, newly empowered after a public dispute with Yasser Arafat, chastised Israel Wednesday for expanding West Bank settlements and for blocking his plan to put armed policemen on the streets to bolster his public standing.

In Gaza violence, four Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli forces. The victims included three youths shot during a demonstration against the Israeli takeover of northern Gaza. The military said it shot at Palestinians planning to fire rockets.

Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said he appealed to U.S. Consul David Pearce for "a firm and clear position" from Washington against Israeli settlement activity and for allowing armed police to patrol Palestinian towns and cities.

Qureia claimed Israel was rapidly expanding Jewish settlements and infrastructure in the West Bank, building a network of roads and services for the 230,000 Jews who live there.

Responding to U.S. criticism, Israel assured the United States earlier this week it is abiding by the terms of last year's "road map" peace plan, which calls for halting settlement expansion and dismantling unauthorized outposts.

But the mayor of the largest Jewish settlement in the West Bank said it would double in size in coming years. Maale Adumim, which has 31,000 residents, is a satellite city of Jerusalem.

Israel hopes to keep the community in any future peace deal with the Palestinians.

Israel said this week it had approved the building of 600 new units, but officials later said the permission was granted more than a year ago.

The community's mayor, Benny Kashriel, said Wednesday that "thousands" of new homes would be built in the town. About 480 new units already are built, he told Israel Radio.

Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza are on land Palestinians hope to include in a future state.

Concerning security, a spokesman for the Israeli administration confirmed that Jamil Tarifi, the Palestinian minister for civil affairs, sought Israel's co-ordination in deploying more uniformed police throughout the West Bank.

"We want to co-operate," spokesman Ophir Chacham said, declining to discuss whether policemen could carry weapons.

Though largely symbolic, the presence of more blue-uniformed policemen would bolster Qureia's standing among his people and provide a badly needed demonstration of greater authority for his government.

In the past, Israel has targeted Palestinian police stations, claiming police have provided aid to militants attacking Israelis. The Palestinians have accused Israel of destroying the only infrastructure they had to control the militants.

Ramallah is the only West Bank city to have police, but they are unarmed and are limited to traffic duty. Police in Gaza City carry weapons but are outgunned by militant groups.

Petty crime is rare in the territories, with few burglaries or robberies. Many residents leave their doors unlocked.

But political and gang-style violence is rampant. Palestinians complain that armed gangs rule the streets of some West Bank towns.

Besides the regular clashes with Israeli forces, Gaza and the West Bank have witnessed recent waves of lawlessness, kidnappings and demonstrations in what is seen as a factional struggle within Arafat's Fatah movement.

Qureia has said he wants the police to "impose discipline" in the territories, but he has given no indication he would order them to rein in militants.

After threatening to resign last month, Qureia won a pledge from Arafat to relinquish control of the police and public security services. Arafat retains command of the intelligence services and military forces.

"There is no security without an ability to control security, including whatever the security apparatus needs," Qureia said.

In Gaza, Israeli tanks and bulldozers moved toward the crowded Jebaliya refugee camp, cutting electricity and telephone lines in an operation to stop Palestinian rocket attacks, witnesses and Israeli officials said.

During a demonstration in nearby Beit Lahiya protesting the Israeli operation, three youths _ including a 12-year-old boy _ were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers, Palestinians said.

At sundown, an Israeli helicopter fired two missiles, wounding two people, Palestinians said. Israel said it targeted militants preparing to fire rockets.

A helicopter also fired two missiles toward a group of Palestinians demonstrating against Israel's takeover of part of northern Gaza, witnesses said. No casualties were reported and the military had no immediate comment.

The move toward Jebaliya expanded Israel's monthlong operation in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip that began after two Israelis, one of them a four-year-old boy, were killed by homemade rockets in Sderot, an Israeli town three kilometres from the Gaza perimeter fence.

Also, a 22-year-old man was killed by Israeli troops in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, Palestinian witnesses said.

An Israeli military spokesman said Palestinian militants were firing at Israeli troops, and soldiers destroyed a weapons-smuggling tunnel there.

In the West Bank city of Nablus, a Palestinian bystander was killed when Israeli troops exchanged gunfire with militants, Palestinian witnesses said.