A 12-year-old Palestinian and two Hamas fighters were killed Tuesday during an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinian and Israeli press reports said.
Israeli troops have been surrounding an eight-story building in the West Bank city in a search for Hamas members since Tuesday morning.
At noon, Israeli troops fired a tank shell at the building. The shell hit the building next door, killing the boy, whom Palestinian sources identified as Hebron resident Thaer Sayuri. The boy, who was standing on the sidelines watching the action with his family, was injured by shell shrapnel and died in the hospital, hospital officials said. Palestinian sources said another girl was wounded by the Israeli fire.
Later, Israel Radio reported that Israeli troops who stormed the building, found two bodies of Palestinian fighters at the premises. Additionally, one Palestinian fighter was injured in exchanges of gunfire with the occupation troops.
The wounded man was transferred to an Israeli hospital for treatment after he walked out of the building, reports said.
Earlier, Israeli military sources were quoted as saying the building would be destroyed with the Palestinians inside if they fail to surrender. The building, which belongs to the Qawasmeh family, is in the Abu-Kteila neighborhood near Hebron's Islamic University.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli tank fired at a Palestinian man suspected of planting road-side bomb north of Karni Terminal, Israel Radio reported. The man was killed. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
