Israeli occupation troops killed a senior Palestinian activist during an exchange of fire in the West Bank on Tuesday, witnesses and the Israeli army said. Witnesses said soldiers surrounded a hideout used by Thabet Ayyadeh, 24, leader of the Hamas military wing in Tulkarem, and killed him in the ensuing clash.
An Israeli spokeswoman confirmed that the predawn raid targeted a "senior fugitive".
Also Tuesday morning, occupation forces arrested 18 Palestinians in the West Bank.
Meanwhile in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians fired a Qassam rocket onto southern Israeli territory near the town of Netiv Haasara late Monday night.
An intense explosion was heard in the area where the rocket fell, though no casualties were reported.
In nearly the same a spot on Sunday night, two rockets landed close to the same community. On Friday, four rockets landed in the Yad Mordecahi and Zikim region outside of the Strip. The Israeli army responded with artillery fire.
