Nachshon Battalion soldiers shot and killed the senior Hamas commander in Tulkarm, Tabeth Salah a-Din, early Tuesday when he opened fire while attempting to evade arrest. One soldier was wounded and was evacuated to hospital in Israel. Soldiers searching Salah a-Din's home uncovered a makeshift bomb factory containing 10 kilograms of explosives, home-made bombs and electrical components used to make detonators.
Rafat Nasif, a Hamas leader in Tulkarm, blamed Israel for provoking bloodshed and warned that Salah a-Din's death would be avenged. In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Nasif said "this crime was committed while Hamas is abiding by the state of calm. The aim is to torpedo the calm; we will not remain silent." |