Israeli troops assassinated Khaled Suleiman Al-Hawi, 23 years old, leader of the Aqsa Martyrs brigades in Jenin, wounded three others and arrested one of them.
Al-Hawi, and the other three operatives, were shot at by special units wearing Palestinian civilian clothes, as they parked the car near Al-Hawi house in Wad Ezz Eddin neighborhood of Jenin.
The four are members of Al-Aqsa and Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wings of Fattah and the Islamic Jihad.
Al-Hawi received a fatal shot, the other three were wounded. The special unit was apprehended Yousef Qandil, 18 years old after they shot him.
According to the army source, Qandil transported an activist who carried out a shooting incident, Sunday, which caused the death of the Israeli settler “Victor Kreiderman” on the road to Mevo Dotan.
Army claims that Qandil also waited for the activist who carried out the shooting and together fled the scene.
After the assassination the army pushed more than 30 military vehicles from several directions and besieged the eastern neighborhood in Jenin and Wad Ez Ed-Deen and imposed curfew over the city while two military Apaches roamed the area.
The Israeli army holds Al-Hawi responsible of several military operations against the army and settlers, causing several deaths and injuries, including an operation conducted several days ago.
Meanwhile, soldiers topped several buildings in the eastern neighborhood and raided a house next to Al-Hawi’s, who died before the ambulances managed to reach him.
The mother of Al-Hawi said that ‘the special unit fired at him intensively and killed him while he was near the house door’, and held her with her daughters in a room, while searching the homes causing huge damages.
Army on the other hand, raided the area and conducted vast searches in an attempt to locate the other activists who managed to escape despite the siege and intensive military presence.
Shortly after the assassination, sever exchange of fire erupted between Al-Aqsa and Al-Quds brigades from one side and the army from the other in several areas in the area, while tens of Palestinians hurled stones and empty bottles at the army who fired back using live ammunition and gas bombs.
On the other hand, Israeli military source claimed Monday night, uncovering a 20-30kg explosive charge on the road between the village of Barqeen and Jenin.
According to the army, the explosive was meant to be used against the army when they invaded Jenin, however sappers managed to safely detonated the charge.
Commenting on the assassination, leader of Al-Aqsa Brigades in the West Bank, Zakaria Al-Zubeidi said that the assassination of Al-Hawi is part of the military campaign which aims to kill the activists of the resistance in order “to pass Israel’s conspiring plans”.
Al-Zubeidi added that these assassinations, and arrests and the escalation of violence are “military crimes” that will only increase the unity between the Palestinians and urge them to “continue the path of resistance until the end of the occupation”.
