ISRAELI OFFICIALS ADMIT BOTCHED OPERATION

JERUSLEM [MENL] -- Senior Israeli officials have said that the killing ofthree Israeli soldiers during an undercover raid in a West Bank village fora wanted Hamas leader may have been caused by friendly fire. Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz havenot ruled out the possibility that the deaths were caused by friendly firein two separate shootouts during an abortive manhunt for Israel's mostwanted Hamas leader, Mahmud Abu Hannud.