Jerusalem, March 4 (IANS) Israeli forces killed a local Hamas leader in Jenin, northern West Bank, on Tuesday, according to the Israeli military.
A military spokesperson said in a statement that Border Police officers, army troops, and Shin Bet security agents raided Jenin overnight as part of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the West Bank.
The spokesperson announced that “following an exchange of fire, the soldiers eliminated Isser Saadi,” who was identified as the head of the Hamas network in Jenin.
Another militant, along with Saadi, was killed, and three others were apprehended, according to the statement, Xinhua news agency reported.
In a separate statement, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces “will continue to combat terrorism and thwart it everywhere.”
The Israeli military launched a large-scale campaign in Jenin on January 21 and has since expanded it to other cities and refugee camps in the occupied West Bank, causing widespread destruction and killing dozens.
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Tuesday that the country demands a demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and an end to Hamas’ rule in order to move on to the next phase of the ceasefire deal that took effect in January,
“We don’t have an agreement on phase two,” Sa’ar said during a press briefing. “We demand total demilitarization of Gaza, (and) Hamas and Islamic Jihad out and give us our hostages.”
He added that if Hamas agreed to these demands, “we can implement (the deal) tomorrow.”
Referring to Israel’s move to block humanitarian aid to Gaza since early Sunday, Sa’ar claimed Hamas was exploiting the aid for its own purposes. He said humanitarian supplies have become the “number one budget income” for Hamas and a means of rebuilding the group’s military capabilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the decision to block the aid aims to pressure Hamas into accepting a new proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal, which he said was put forth by US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, Xinhua news agency reported.
The first 42-day phase of the three-stage agreement between Hamas and Israel, which included increased humanitarian aid, expired on Saturday. Under the agreement, both sides were expected to negotiate a second phase, in which Hamas would release dozens of remaining hostages in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal and a permanent ceasefire.
However, on Friday, Israel presented a new framework that would extend the first phase for an additional 42 days, until after the Muslim and Jewish holidays of Ramadan and Passover, which end on April 20. Hamas said Saturday that the Israeli proposal is “unacceptable.”
–IANS
int/as
