Israeli troops kill Palestinian activists
Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinian activists on Wednesday in the occupied Gaza Strip as Israel continued to round up Palestinians.
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Israel continued to round up |
Two members of the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, were killed near Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip during a raid on an Israeli military outpost, according to a statement from Hamas.
Hamas said the attack was in retaliation for Israel’s assassination of senior member Abd Allah Qawasameh last weekend in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.
Israel detained 20 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkaram early on Wednesday, a day after it seized at least 140 Palestinians in Hebron.
Aljazeera’s correspondent said Israeli tanks re-invaded the village of Kafar Malik near the West Bank city of Ram Allah.
Israel’s moves have undermined efforts to reach a ceasefire.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has been holding talks with Palestinian factions, spearheading armed resistance against Israel’s occupation in an effort to broker a temporary ceasefire with Israel.
Palestinian peace draft
Despite Israel’s continued violence, a member of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s Fatah faction told AFP on Wednesday that his group had drafted a truce agreement with Hamas and Islamic Jihad during meetings in Syria.
The official said the draft called for a three-month truce with Israel on condition Palestinian detainees being held by Israel be released.
Israel holds about 8,000 Palestinians, many without trial or charge.
The Palestinian daily al-Ayyam quoted Palestinian sources
as saying factions had agreed that the situation was ripe
for a truce to be declared and that it could be announced in Cairo by the end of the week.