Post by FaithWalker on Jan 18, 2008 8:19:57 GMT -6
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The Israeli defense minister has ordered troops to close border crossings that lead to and from the Gaza Strip, a spokesman said Friday
In the West Bank, meanwhile, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian militant wanted for planning and staging suicide attacks, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the Gaza border closure after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired rockets into Israeli towns for several days. Militants have fired more than 100 rockets into Israel in recent days, and the Israeli Army has retaliated with military strikes that have killed at least two dozen Palestinians.
Rocket strikes and retaliatory attacks continued Friday, with Palestinian sources reporting the deaths of two militants in Israeli airstrikes.
The closure will block the entrance of food, fuel and medicine, but Palestinians who need medical treatment will be allowed to cross, a spokesman for Israel's defense minister told CNN.
The military will reevaluate the closure in a few days, the spokesman said.
The victims of the Israeli strikes included a senior extremist leader, Israel said, and also several civilians, Palestinian security sources said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that Israel would continue its campaign against militants in Gaza. He said Israel has "no desire to harm the residents of the Gaza Strip" but would fight extremists in Gaza "without compromise and without pity."
The West Bank has been relatively stable compared with Gaza, the other Palestinian region.
But on Friday, troops and Israel's Security Service personnel raided the Balata refugee camp in Nablus "to arrest a number of wanted militants."
Forces surrounded a house, identified militant Ahmad Muhammad Ibrahim Sanakra, who was holding a Kalashnikov rifle, and shot him dead.
Sanakra was on Israel's most wanted list for involvement in planning and carrying out many suicide attacks, recruiting suicide bombers and preparing the suicide belts. In November 2006 he was wounded while trying to activate a car bomb near Israeli troops.
Link
In the West Bank, meanwhile, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian militant wanted for planning and staging suicide attacks, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the Gaza border closure after Palestinian militants in Gaza fired rockets into Israeli towns for several days. Militants have fired more than 100 rockets into Israel in recent days, and the Israeli Army has retaliated with military strikes that have killed at least two dozen Palestinians.
Rocket strikes and retaliatory attacks continued Friday, with Palestinian sources reporting the deaths of two militants in Israeli airstrikes.
The closure will block the entrance of food, fuel and medicine, but Palestinians who need medical treatment will be allowed to cross, a spokesman for Israel's defense minister told CNN.
The military will reevaluate the closure in a few days, the spokesman said.
The victims of the Israeli strikes included a senior extremist leader, Israel said, and also several civilians, Palestinian security sources said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Thursday that Israel would continue its campaign against militants in Gaza. He said Israel has "no desire to harm the residents of the Gaza Strip" but would fight extremists in Gaza "without compromise and without pity."
The West Bank has been relatively stable compared with Gaza, the other Palestinian region.
But on Friday, troops and Israel's Security Service personnel raided the Balata refugee camp in Nablus "to arrest a number of wanted militants."
Forces surrounded a house, identified militant Ahmad Muhammad Ibrahim Sanakra, who was holding a Kalashnikov rifle, and shot him dead.
Sanakra was on Israel's most wanted list for involvement in planning and carrying out many suicide attacks, recruiting suicide bombers and preparing the suicide belts. In November 2006 he was wounded while trying to activate a car bomb near Israeli troops.
Link