A Palestinian fighter was killed Sunday afternoon during a gun battle with Israeli occupation soldiers east of Bethlehem. Israeli sources said the man was a senior activist in Fatah armed wing.
Meanwhile, Israel's security Cabinet recommended Sunday that the government cut all ties with the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and declare it a "hostile entity," a government spokesman said.
The recommendations by the security Cabinet would rule out the possibility that Israel would negotiate with Abbas in an effort to bypass Hamas, spokesman Asaf Shariv said, according to the AP.
The full Cabinet will approve the recommendations at its weekly meeting next Sunday, Shariv expected.
