The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group vowed revenge for the assassination of one of its members by Israeli helicopter fire in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, reported AFP.
We will take revenge for the assassination of one of our military activists," the Islamic Jihad in Palestine official told AFP in Gaza City.
"The movement's response will be appropriate and strong as you have become accustomed," an official said in a statement, quoted by the agency.
Mohammed Abdel Al, 26, was leaving his home in Rafah on the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt when two helicopters fired rockets on his vehicle, burning him to a crisp.
Israeli army radio claimed the military had information that he was planning an attack, added AFP.
The Israeli army has stepped up its actions in the Palestinian territories in the last few days, including the kidnapping of six members of the Palestinian presidential guards unit, Force 17.
Israel has threatened to continue with its campaign aimed at liquidating Intifada activists. There have been reports of Israeli plans to assassinate top aides of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
The last Palestinian assassinated by the Israeli army was Masoud Ayad, a member of Force 17 whom the Israeli army said was working with the Lebanese Hizbollah movement.
Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post newspaper reported that Israeli troops arrested earlier Monday a Palestinian man from the Salem village near the West Bank city of Nablus for involvement in killing an Israeli soldier overnight by armed Palestinians.
Citing Israel Radio, the paper said that Mohammed Nasser resided in a house close to the scene of the gunfight where 23-year-old Ya'akov Krenchel was killed in an exchange of fire.
Within the same context, the Palestinian group, Return Brigades, claimed responsibility for killing Krenchel, said reports.
In a statement released by the group, it said the action was in revenge for the death of five Palestinian youths killed in clashes with the Israeli army on Land Day last Friday, said Haaretz.
Also on Monday, a female Israeli soldier was lightly injured in Jerusalem when a Palestinian man hit her over the head with an iron bar, and snatched her M16 semi-automatic rifle on Pierre Kennig Street, in a residential area of Jerusalem, said the Israeli paper.
The Israeli army said there had been six other exchanges of fire late Sunday, with no injuries reported.
In Hebron, several Israeli soldiers and border policemen were taken to hospital suffering from headaches, nausea and ringing in their ears after Jewish settlers in Hebron blew up a gas balloon in a Palestinian shop overnight Sunday, said the paper.
According to the paper, settler leaders condemned the attack, saying they fully backed the soldiers in Hebron and that they were opposed to what they said were the acts of a small group of hotheads.
The heaviest shooting had been around Bethlehem where the military position guarding Rachel's Tomb came under machinegun fire, a military source told Haaretz.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority issued a warning to Israel Sunday night that it has "crossed a red line" by entering Area A (under Palestinian control), and kidnapping six Palestinians.
Israeli security sources said the Palestinians may respond to the kidnapping by attempting to kidnap Israeli soldiers, said Haaretz.
The head of the PA's preventative security apparatus in the West Bank, Jibril Rjoub, was quoted as saying Sunday that the kidnapping was a "clear violation of the Oslo Accords. The Israelis have crossed a red line."
But Israel's Chief of Staff, Shaul Mofaz, told Channel Two that "the Palestinians are the ones who have crossed the red lines," adding that, "the IDF will act wherever it is needed to harm the terrorists," according to the paper.
In addition to increased attempts to kidnap soldiers, Israeli sources told Haaretz that the Palestinians may also respond to the kidnapping by holding onto Israelis who enter areas under PA control, such as the teenage boy and girl who were found in Ramallah on Friday and returned unharmed to Israel -- Albawaba.com
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