A Palestinian was killed during a gunbattle with Israeli forces in the West Bank. The incident took place early Friday southwest of the Palestinian city of Qalqiliah. An Israeli officer was moderately wounded and an Israeli civilian sustained light wounds in an exchange of fire with the Palestinian.
No Palestinian group immediately claimed responsibility. But Palestinian security officials said the victim, 49, was a member of Hamas.
Meanwhile, Hamas arrested seven Palestinians who fired rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip on Thursday. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a group linked to Fatah group, said Hamas men pursued three of its its members after the attack and "abducted them" in Jabalya refugee camp.
No one was hurt in the strike with two rockets on southern Israel. Four more men were arrested as they tried to fire rockets at Israel after darkness fell, an al-Aqsa official said, according to Reuters. "We demand their immediate release," said Abu Qusai, a brigades spokesman.
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said: "We stress that all parties should maintain the national agreement that was reached with a consensus."
