- Title: VARIOUS: PALESTINIAN MILITANT AND ISRAELI SOLDIER DIE IN PRE-DAWN RAID
- Date: 3rd May 2005
- Summary: (W2) SIDA VILLAGE, NEAR TULKARM, WEST BANK (MAY 02, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV SITE WHERE ISLAMIC JIHAD MEMBER, 37-YEAR-OLD SHAFIQ ABDEL GHANI, WAS KILLED BY ISRAELI TROOPS DURING A PRE-DAWN RAID; MV FAMILY MEMBERS WEEPING OVER BODY; MV BODY LYING ON A PICK UP TRUCK; FAMILY MEMBERS WEEPING (4 SHOTS) 0.33 2. SCU BLOOD STAIN IN GRASS; SLV SITE, BLOOD; MV
- Embargoed: 18th May 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SIDA VILLAGE NEAR TULKARM AND RAMALLAH WEST BANK / JERUSALEM
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Reuters ID: LVA2G0LD0DBQIHZ8TRRMGRHIPSZU
- Story Text: Palestinian militant and Israeli soldier die in pre-dawn raid in West Bank.
An Israeli soldier and Palestinian militant were killed in a West
Bank clash on Monday (May 2, 2005), army officials and witnesses said, putting
further strain on an already tenuous ceasefire.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the army's dawn raid on Sida
village as a violation of trust-building measures agreed by President Mahmoud
Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon when they announced the truce on
February 8.
The soldier was the first Israeli killed by Palestinians since
militants formally agreed in March to follow the truce. Another soldier was
wounded, a military spokeswoman said.
Palestinian witness Husni Saleh, who was at the site of the killing,
said another Palestinian child was wounded and rushed to hospital for
treatment. Saleh said the man was identified as Shafiq Abdel Ghani.
Residents identified the slain militant as a leader of the Islamic
Jihad cell which carried out a February 25 suicide bombing in Tel Aviv,
killing five people.
He recently escaped from a Palestinian jail where he had been held in
connection with that attack.
Israel said it reserved the right to go after "ticking bombs",
militants planning imminent attacks.
Israeli Deputy Premier Ehud Olmert said it endangered the ceasefire
agreed upon at an Egypt summit.
"I hope it will not set back the ceasefire, it only proves again
how sensitive and volatile and insecure the situation is and how much all of
must do in order to make sure that the ceasefire and end of violence will
continue," said Olmert ahead of the Israeli cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
"In any event, Israel can't stop the efforts to protect our citizens and
block them from any attempt by Palestinians to continue terrorist actions. I
hope the Palestinian authority will take a more active role in enforcing the
ceasefire so there will be no need for further intervention of Israeli
soldiers".
The last time Israeli troops killed a militant was during an April 14
raid on the West Bank city of Nablus.
Tulkarm was one of two West Bank cities handed over to Palestinian
Authority security control. On Sunday, the army said it captured an Islamic
Jihad member near the city who had planned to carry out a suicide bombing.
The ceasefire has raised hopes for a revival of Middle East peace
negotiations, but Abbas has resisted Israeli calls to crack down on militant
groups and said he prefers to use persuasion instead.
Any resurgence of violence could complicate Israel's plan to withdraw
from the occupied Gaza Strip and a corner of the West Bank this summer in a
bid to "disengage" from the conflict.
Faced with mounting lawlessness on the streets of the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Authority began a law-and-order drive at the
weekend that was also aimed at ensuring the ceasefire is followed.
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