 |
Israel is threatening a massive ground sweep in Gaza along with the bombing that killed nearly 50 Palestinians. (Reuters) |
GAZA CITY — Israeli occupation troops killed at least four Palestinian resistance activists in both the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, May 29, as warplanes continued deadly strikes in Gaza.
Israeli soldiers gunned downOmar Abu Zafer, a 22-year-old member Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, during a raid into the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghuti accused the Israelis of assassinating the resistance activist.
"They hit him in the legs and then shot him in the head and the rest of his body while he lay on the ground," Barghuti said in a statement.
In a separate incident, an undercover Israeli squad operating in a village near the northern town of Jenin killed a second Aqsa Martyrs Brigades member.
Earlier, Israeli troops crossed into the occupied Gaza Strip and killed Abdelkarim Shaath, 21, and Mohammed Muammar, 22, of Hamas armed wing Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
The Brigades sources said the two were shot down in the southern Rafah crossing during clashes with the occupation forces.
Israel is threatening a massive ground sweep along with the deadly aerial bombing campaign.
Nearly 50 Gazans have been killed so far since the beginning of the Israeli offensive in May 15.
The latest death brings to 5,732 the number of people killed since the start of the Intifada in September 2000, the vast majority of them Palestinians, according to an AFP count.
More Meeting
Tuesday's killings came as President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed plans for an upcoming meeting with Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert.
"Our meetings with the Israelis must continue, and in this regard I will have a new meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert on June 7," he said.
Israeli officials affirmed the meeting, the first between Abbas and Olmert in nearly two months.
Emerging from talks with visiting EU parliament president Hans-Gert Poettering in Gaza City, Abbas warned against a wide scale Israeli ground offensive.
"I hope that the Israelis are not planning such a thing," he said. "Everything can be solved by negotiations and we are disposed to reach a truce."
Abbas also reiterated his call for a comprehensive ceasefire with Israel that covers both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Hamas and other factions have signaled readiness to consider Abbas's proposal if Israel vowed to end raids in the West Bank.
Israel has already rebuffed such a ceasefire.
|
