Israeli troops killed a Hamas member in the West Bank village of Yatta early Wednesday morning, Israel Radio reported, a day after the resistance movement claimed responsibility for an attack in the Gaza Strip that killed two Israelis.
Tuesday's attacker, Mohammed Yunis, an 18-year-old from the Jabaliyah refugee camp, was killed by Israeli fire. Hamas said the attack came as a revenge for Israel's killing of one of its top commanders, Sa'ad al-Arbeed, and six other Palestinians a week ago in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army imposed a complete closure on the Palestinian territories Wednesday morning that will be in effect over the Passover holiday, after receiving warnings of attacks planned by Palestinian groups, Haaretz reported.
The week-long Passover holiday begins at sundown on Wednesday. The army said in a statement it would impose "a complete closure" on travel from the West Bank or Gaza into Israel, except for humanitarian cases, and close Gaza's Mediterranean shores to fishermen.
Israeli forces set up roadblocks Tuesday night around Jerusalem due to warnings that Palestinian organizations were preparing to carry out attacks in the upcoming days, Israel's Army Radio reported.
In last year Passover, 29 people were killed after a Hamas member blew himself up at an Israeli hotel. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
