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Israeli Forces Raid W. Bank; Violence Erupts along Gaza Border

   VOA News 26 December 2009
   Israeli  soldiers  are  seen during an army operation in the West Bank
   city  of  Nablus,  Saturday,  Dec. 26, 2009. Palestinian officials say
   Israeli  troops  have  killed three activists of the Fatah movement of
   Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Photo: AP

   Israeli  soldiers  are  seen during an army operation in the West Bank
   city of Nablus, 26 Dec 2009

   Israeli  forces  have  stormed  the  West Bank town of Nablus, killing
   three men suspected of killing an Israeli settler.
   An  Israeli  military spokeswoman says Israeli soldiers surrounded the
   homes  of  the three men early Saturday morning, and went in after the
   men refused to surrender.
   She says at least one of the men was armed.
   Palestinian   officials  say  the  men  were  members  of  Palestinian
   President  Mahmoud  Abbas'  Fatah  movement  and  that  all  three had
   previously been disarmed by Palestinian security forces.
   Palestinian  medics also say the wife of one of the men was wounded in
   the raid.
   Israel  accuses the men of gunning down a settler, as he drove along a
   road linking the Einav and Shavei Shomron settlements on Thursday.
   In  a  separate  incident,  Israeli  officials confirmed killing three
   Palestinians in Gaza, near the Israeli border.
   Israel's  military said the three were trying to carry out a terrorist
   attack.   Palestinian officials say the men were just collecting scrap
   metal.
   Earlier,   several  Palestinians  groups  claimed  responsibility  for
   Thursday's  attack  on the Israeli settler, including Fatah's military
   wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
   During   a  funeral  for  the  victim  on  Friday  in  Jerusalem,  his
   16-year-old son urged mourners not to seek revenge.
   Following the attack, Palestinian security forces rounded up dozens of
   suspects.
   Israeli  Colonel  Avi  Gil  said the gunmen took advantage of the fact
   that  the  Israeli military had lifted roadblocks to ease restrictions
   on Palestinian movement in the area.
   Gil  said that 11 shootings have been reported in the West Bank so far
   this year.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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