IDF soldiers operating in Nablus in the early hours of Friday morning shot and killed an armed Palestinian in the West Bank city’s Balata refugee camp.
Palestinian sources said the gunman, 26, was a member of Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, adding that he was shot while traveling through Balata in a taxi.
Palestinian sources reported that soldiers entered Balata just after midnight and began searching homes and opening fire at several targets in the refugee camp.
During the ensuing exchanges of fire the IDF soldiers fired at a taxi carrying al-Aqsa member Hitham Salah, who was killed on the spot.
Ala Sanakra, the Brigades’ commander in the refugee camp, told Ynet that the organization would retaliate to the IDF’s operations.
“We will respond at the appropriate time and place,” he said. “We will not disarm and we will not be committed to any agreement.”
Officer’s leg severed
The operation in Nablus concluded just a few hours after the incident.
On Wednesday army forces entered Nablus to operate against terror infrastructure and search for weapons caches amid increased alerts regarding plans to launch terror attacks against Israel’s home front.
During the activity eight wanted Palestinians were detained and seven explosive devices were found.
A short while after the operation in Nablus began an IDF officer was severely injured, three soldiers were moderately hurt and another three sustained light wounds as Palestinians hurled four explosive devices in their direction.
Dr. Ari Shamiss is the Director of the General Hospital at the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer, said the officer was in stable condition, adding that one of his legs was severed and surgeons were trying to save the other.
Efrat Weiss contributed to the report