The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
43°F
Current Conditions
Overcast clouds
View complete weather report
Subscribe now

Hamas militant among five killed by Israelis

A Palestinian militant from Hamas carries an anti-tank weapon through the alleyways Saturday in the Jebaliya refugee camp.A Palestinian militant from Hamas carries an anti-tank weapon through the alleyways Saturday in the Jebaliya refugee camp. (Associated PressAssociated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Ibrahim Barzak Associated Press
A Palestinian militant from Hamas carries an anti-tank weapon through the alleyways Saturday in the Jebaliya refugee camp.A Palestinian militant from Hamas carries an anti-tank weapon through the alleyways Saturday in the Jebaliya refugee camp. (Associated PressAssociated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip – Israeli soldiers on Saturday shot and killed a Hamas militant who the military said was responsible for a rocket attack that killed two Israeli preschoolers recently and triggered an army offensive in northern Gaza.

Abed Nabhan, 25, was one of five Palestinians killed Saturday in the continuing Israeli operation in northern Gaza.

Nabhan, a Hamas field commander, was killed when Israeli troops shot at Hamas militants preparing to fire an anti-tank missile from the Jebaliya refugee camp.

After the deadly rocket attack on the Israeli border down of Sderot on Sept. 29, the Israeli army launched the largest incursion into northern Gaza since Israeli-Palestinian fighting broke out four years ago.

The army said Nabhan was responsible for the Sderot attack as well as a Sept. 30 attack on an army post in northern Gaza that killed an Israeli soldier and wounded two others.

Nabhan and three other Hamas gunmen were preparing to fire an anti-tank missile Saturday at Israeli troops in Jebaliya when the army shot first, setting off an explosion that killed Nabhan and wounded the other gunmen, the army said.

Late Saturday, two Israeli aircraft fired missiles toward Palestinians in separate incidents in Jebaliya.

The first strike, near a market, wounded four Palestinians, including two militants who were standing near a land mine, hospital officials and witnesses said. The second strike seriously wounded two other militants, hospital officials said.

Earlier Saturday night, an explosion rocked a five-story house near Jebaliya, killing two people, hospital officials said. The army said the house was hit by an errant anti-tank missile fired by militants. Residents said the explosion was caused by two tank shells fired by the Israeli military.

Earlier Saturday, a lengthy gunbattle erupted between Palestinian militants and Israeli troops just outside the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, killing two Palestinians, according to medical officials.

The deaths brought the number of Palestinians killed to 94 since Israel began its offensive in northern Gaza. Nearly half of those killed were civilians; 18 were age 16 and under.