Israeli security forces on Monday barred Palestinians from entering Israel in advance of national elections, while final opinion polls showed Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s hawkish party leading its rivals heading into Tuesday’s ballot. Concerned about possible Palestinian attacks during the elections, security forces stepped up already tight travel restrictions on Palestinians, who will not be allowed to cross from the West Bank and Gaza into Israel proper until Wednesday. Most Palestinians already were prevented from entering Israel even before the latest move. In the West Bank town of Hebron, the Israeli army said it found a bomb and carried out a controlled explosion at a house belonging to a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a militant group loosely linked to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement. Full Story