At least for Israelis were killed and six wounded Friday evening by an armed Palestinian who infiltrated the West Bank settlement of Otniel.
The Palestinian opened fire at people who were inside the dining hall at the settlement, which is located south of Hebron. Later, he was shot dead.
Less than two hours after this incident three Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in an exchange of fire with a second Palestinian involved in the attack in the nearby Palestinian town of Dahariya.
Islamic Jihad claimed the attack.
Hamas
Earlier, the leader of Hamas told 30,000 supporters that the group would keep carrying out suicide bombings and shootings in Israel, despite talks between the group and Fatah on suspending such attacks.
Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin pledged that "the march of martyrs will move forward". "Resistance will move forward. Jihad will continue, and martyrdom operations will continue until the full liberation of Palestine."
Israeli troops renewed arrest raids in the West Bank on Friday. In the Askar refugee camp near Nablus, soldiers captured a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and found in his possession an audio tape in which announced he was planning a suicide bombing, the army said, according to AP.
In Bethlehem, soldiers arrested the former head of the student council of Bethlehem University, a Fatah activist, security officials said.
Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat on Friday accused Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of trying to disrupt Egyptian-led talks between Hamas and Fatah on suspending attacks in Israel. Erekat said that by ordering relentless strikes, Sharon was trying to provoke Palestinian retaliation.
"Sharon's endgame is to sabotage the Egyptian effort," Erekat said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
