Israeli troops will continue to eliminate Palestinians accused of being behind attacks on Israelis, however senior they might be, Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh said Wednesday.
"We will hit all those who are involved in terrorist operations, attacks or preparations for attacks, and the fact of having a position within the Palestinian Authority confers no immunity on anyone," Sneh said on Israeli army radio.
He refused to comment on a reported hit list of leading Palestinians, but claimed that Israel's policy, denounced by the Palestinians as "state terrorism", was "effective, precise and fair."
The choice of targets met both political and military criteria," Sneh said, adding, "Our operations are only mounted if they serve our interests."
Thabet Thabet, an official of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Fateh movement and the head of the Palestinian health ministry was gunned down by Israeli troops at Tulkarem in the West Bank on Sunday.
Israel has not admitted that he was a target -- JERUSALEM (AFP)
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