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| By: Israel Insider staff and partners |
| Published: March 23, 2006 |
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Israeli troops raided a West Bank refugee camp Wednesday and killed a wanted Palestinian militant a day after Israeli police thwarted a bombing after chasing down the would-be bomber in a high-speed pursuit along one of Israel's major highways.
The bomber planned to blow himself up in central Israel, just days before Israel's March 28 elections, police said. Police said the accused attacker was linked to the Islamic Jihad group, which was responsible for all seven bombing attacks since a yearlong cease-fire took effect last March. Islamic Jihad made no claim of responsibility.
Early Wednesday morning, Israeli troops entered the Aqabat Jaber near the West Bank town of Jericho to arrest three Islamic Jihad militants, the army said. The soldiers surrounded three houses and called on the suspects to come out and two of the men surrendered, the army said.
The army fired at one of the houses to get the remaining suspect to emerge, the army said. Troops then entered and saw a "suspicious figure" under mattresses and, thinking he was armed, fired and killed the man, the army said. No weapon was found, the army said.
Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian legislator for Jericho, condemned the killing, saying that Israeli raids and closures were making life intolerable for the people of Jericho.
"This is part of an open war against the Palestinians," he said.
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the Israeli Ynet Web site that Iran is pushing Islamic Jihad to carry out an attack before Israel's election next week. "We know that Iran transferred in the last month $1.8 million to the Islamic Jihad organization in order to carry out terrorist attacks against Israel," he said.
The raid came a day after police cars with sirens blazing and backed by helicopters chased down a van along the main Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway, pulled out the suspected attacker and safely detonated the 7-kilogram (15-pound) bomb that was concealed in a bag, police said. Police said the attackers could have either used the bomb in a suicide attack or by planting the explosives in a crowd.
Palestinian attacks have altered the outcome of previous Israeli elections and a successful suicide bombing could weaken support for the centrist Kadima Party of acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the front-runner in the polls.
Jittery security forces extended a closure on the West Bank and Gaza through election day, preventing Palestinian workers from entering Israel. Israel has also greatly restricted movement through the Gaza Strip's main cargo crossing at Karni over the past two months - citing reports that Palestinians were planning attacks there - causing shortages of bread and other essential items in Gaza.
Under U.S. pressure, Israel has sporadically opened Karni since Monday for imports into Gaza. The crossing was opened again Wednesday and Israel also opened an additional crossing into Gaza to allow emergency food aid to enter from Egypt, Israeli officials said.
The opening of Kerem Shalom at the junction between Israel, Egypt and Gaza on Wednesday, was the first time that crossing was in operation.
Egypt is sending the Palestinians 7,000 tons of food, mostly wheat, rice and sugar through Kerem Shalom, Salim Abu Safiah, director-general of the Palestinian border authority said.
The United States had pressed Israel to open the crossings during a meeting Sunday.
Palestinians have accused Israel of shutting Karni as a punishment following the militant Hamas' victory in Jan. 25 Palestinian elections.
After previously denying such allegations, an Israeli official on Tuesday confirmed that the Karni restrictions were partly intended to send a message to Hamas, though he also said the security threats were real. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Israel and the international community have threatened to cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority - which would further cripple the Palestinian economy - if Hamas does not renounce violence and recognize Israel.
The Bush administration asked Arab leaders on Tuesday to encourage Hamas to deal with Israel.
On Monday, after a meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the crown prince of Bahrain said a Hamas-led Palestinian government had no alternative. "They will be obliged to do that" if they want to solve the dispute with Israel, Sheik Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa said.
"Hurry up," he advised Hamas.
"Certainly we welcome those comments," U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, "and we would urge others throughout the Arab world to echo those sentiments." |
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