THE Israeli army today killed the leader of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in the West Bank town of Nablus, security and medical services said. Fadi Khafisha, 29, was killed in Nablus' old town in an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers.Four other members of the radical group, seen as the loosely affiliated armed wing of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas' moderate Fatah party, were wounded, the sources said.
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An army spokeswoman said there had been an exchange of fire in Nablus and that the gunmen opened fire first. "The forces returned fire and identified hitting the armed men," she said. She did not confirm that Khafisha had been killed.
An Israeli security chief said this week that Palestinian militants could have been emboldened by the ability of the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah in holding off army assaults during a 34-day war.
Israeli forces also ended a six-day raid in the Gaza militant stronghold of Shajaiya, Palestinian residents said. The Israeli army did not comment on the pullout. Troops killed four Palestinian gunmen and four civilians in Shijaiya on Wednesday.