An Israeli settler from the Jerusalem-area was abducted and executed by Hamas members from the Ramallah region, it was reported on Monday afternoon. The body of the 55 year old settler from "Pisgat Ze’ev" settlement, was located near Ramallah after Israeli security forces conducted an extensive search since he went missing.
Meanwhile, 90 members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad were reportedly detained late Sunday night and early Monday morning in raids throughout the West Bank by Israeli forces.
Firefights between Palestinians and Israeli occupation forces were reported in the northern West Bank town of Al Yamun, though no injuries resulted in the clashes. 28 of the detained men were from Bethlehem, 34 from Hebron and eight from Jenin.
Hamas declares cease-fire, Islamic Jihad calls off truce
On Sunday, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Al Zahar told reporters that Hamas had declared an end to armed resistance against Israel from the Gaza Strip.
Zahar added that the decision came in the interest of protecting the wellbeing of the Palestinian people against Zionist oppression, and "to preserve the atmosphere of celebrations at the defeat of the occupation," according to Haaretz.
Zahar denied that the move came as a result of external pressure from the Palestinian Authority.
Shortly after the announcement was made, Israeli aircraft bombed several targets in the Gaza Strip, supposedly in response to two rocket attacks on Israeli towns outside the Strip.
The Israeli attack left two Palestinians dead and four wounded. Among the dead was top Islamic Jihad activist Mohammed Sheikh Khalil.
Shortly after the Hamas declaration, Islamic Jihad announced that it had called off the calm it had upheld since last February as a result of the renewed Israeli aggression. "There is no talk of a truce, there is only room for talk of war," Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed Al Hindi told reporters. He added, "Sharon ended the truce when he started this wide scale war against the West Bank and the Gaza Strip."
