RAMALLAH, March 14 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Britain and the U.S. on Tuesday of being responsible for an Israeli army raid on a prison in the West Bank town of Jericho.

    "Britain and the United States are fully responsible for any incident that does harm to the lives of the prisoners in the Jericho prison," Abbas said in a statement, demanding Israeli troops to withdraw.

    The Israeli army raided Jericho on early Tuesday and forced into the Jericho prison, demanding the surrender of Ahmed Saadat, leader of the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and five other militants.

    Israel has accused Saadat of ordering the assassination of Israeli tourism minister Rehavam Zeevi in 2001 and the Palestinian militant has been jailed since August 2002.

    An exchange of fire erupted between the Palestinian police and Israeli troops around the prison, which led to the death of one Palestinian policeman.

    The Jericho prison had been under the supervision of British and U.S. guards in accordance with an agreement with the Palestinian National Authority.

    But the foreign monitors quit the prison before the Israeli army raid.

    British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said that the pullout came out of security concerns.

    The incident came one week after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that he was ready to release Saadat on condition that the PFLP could guarantee his safety.

    But Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz warned that Israel would either arrest or kill Saadat if he was set free. Enditem