JERUSALEM Ñ On Sunday and early Monday, 13 Israelis were killed in three Palestinian
attacks. In a bombing of an Israeli bus in the northern part of the country,
nine people
were killed by a suicide bomber. Hamas claimed responsibility for the
attack in which officials said was aided by an Israeli Arab citizen.
Hours later, a Palestinian insurgent killed an Israeli in a shooting
attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian shot and killed an Israeli security guard
and injured others before he was killed by Israeli forces. A Palestinian
bystander was also killed in the shootout.
The officials said the latest Hamas bombing campaign is being directed
by Mohammed Deif. Deif has taken over for Salah Shehada, the
movement's military commander who was killed in an Israeli air raid last
month, Middle East Newsline reported.
Israel has captured suicide bombers and destroyed their
homes over the weekend.
Officials said Israel captured nine Palestinian suicide bombers last
week. A tenth bomber was killed.
So far, officials said, Israel has detained 129 Palestinians accused of
intending to carry out suicide attacks.
Over the weekend, Israeli authorities destroyed the homes of nine
suicide bombers in the West Bank. Officials said the homes were destroyed
after the government concluded that several Palestinians prepared for
suicide attacks but withdrew from their plans in fear of retaliation against
their families.
On early Monday, an Israeli couple were killed in a Palestinian ambush
north of Ramallah. The couple was driving from their West Bank community
toward Tel Aviv.
Later on Monday, Israeli troops surrounded the southern Gaza City of
Rafah. Rafah is said to be a leading area for arms smuggling from the
neighboring Egyptian-controlled Sinai Peninsula.
The military also banned the exit of Palestinians from all major West
Bank cities with the exception
of emergency cases. In Jenin, Israeli military sources reported the capture
of a local Hamas military commander.
