Israeli occupation forces kill two Palestinians in the West Bank city of Nablus, Islamic Jihad threaten retaliation

Date: 24 / 06 / 2008  Time:  10:21
Nablus – Ma'an -

The Israeli occupation army assassinated a Palestinians student from Al-Najah University and a prominent leader of the Al-Quds Brigades in Nablus early on Tuesday morning.

Israeli occupation special forces raided the students' second floor building in the Al-Sal'ous neighborhood in the Al-Makhfiyeh area of western Nablus and shot dead 24-year-old Iyad Khanfar, a fourth-year student at An-Najah and 23-year-old Tariq Juma'a Abu Ghali, one of the most prominent Al-Quds Bridages commanders in the northern West Bank. He had survived five previous assassination attempts. Five others were also detained for a period of time.

Palestinian medical sources told Ma'an's correspondent in Nablus that the dead bodies were transferred to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus after the Israeli army withdrew from the area.

Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, director of Medical Relief in Nablus told Ma'an's correspondent that the young men were not armed.

Hamdan added that the Israeli occupation army opened fire at the two youths, riddling their bodies with bullets. One of the men was hiding under the bed and was shot in the head.

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent in Nablus that the Israeli occupation Special Forces surrounded the Al-Masri and Al-Sal'ous buildings in the Al-Makhfeyeh area shortly after midnight. Loud explosions and intensive gunfire were heard.

Israeli occupation sources said that Tariq Juma'a Abu Ghali was affiliated to Islamic Jihad and he had carried out several operations on Israeli targets, adding that the Israeli occupation forces discovered weapons and ammunition and explosive devices in the house.

Islamic Jihad threaten retaliation

Islamic Jihad threatened to retaliate against the killing, saying that the truce in the Gaza Strip "does not mean that we will sit and wait for the Israelis to slaughter us one after the other."

Dawood Shihab one of the Islamic Jihad leaders in Gaza said that the assassination will not go unpunished, threatening a response in the coming days.

He called on the Palestinian resistance groups in Nablus to take a clear and united stance against Israeli aggression in Nablus, saying "the occupation will not succeed in ending the resistance factions in Gaza and the West Bank especially Islamic Jihad and the Al-Quds brigades."

Hamas also called on the Palestinian resistance factions to "confront the occupation crimes" in the West Bank.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called on security agencies in the West Bank to allow the resistance factions to confront the Israeli aggression and called on the international community and to "exert pressure to stop the occupation crimes."

"We reaffirm our commitment to the truce and we call on all factions to put pressure on the occupation to stop the crimes. So the problem is not with the resistance factions and the Palestinian people but with the occupiers continued aggression against our people despite the truce agreement," he said.

First Palestinian attack during truce - Al-Quds Brigades launch three projectiles at Sderot

Date: 24 / 06 / 2008  Time:  18:26
Gaza - Ma'an -

The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility on Tuesday evening for launching three homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot in the first attack since the start of the Egyptian-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas.

The Brigades said in a statement that this came in retaliation for the assassination of 23-year-old Tariq Juma'a Abu Ghali, one of the most prominent Al-Quds Bridages commanders in the northern West Bank. He was shot dead by Israeli forces in a student flat in Nablus early on Tuesday morning.

Israeli medical sources said that two people were treated for shock after the projectiles landed in Sderot.