Israeli army captures leading militant
The Israeli army has captured a leader of the Islamic Jihad militant group in a raid on a West Bank refugee camp.
An Israeli military source said Sheikh Bassam Saadi had been found by sniffer dogs hiding under a car parked near a mosque at the camp, near Jenin.
Soldiers, backed by two helicopter gunships and tanks, entered a section of the refugee camp before dawn local time and conducted house-to-house searches for suspected militants.
Mr Saadi, 42, was a senior leader of the militant group and had been wanted by Israel for two years.
Three other Palestinians are also believed to have been arrested in the raids. The Israeli army also claimed to have seized 14 suspected militants in raids near the West Bank cities of Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron.
Israeli forces also entered Qalqilya early on Wednesday, and imposed a curfew in the town.
Islamic Jihad has carried out dozens of attacks, killing hundreds of Israelis during the three-year Palestinian uprising.
The Israeli cabinet meets today to consider plans to extend the controversial security barrier separating Israeli settlements from the West Bank.
The move to extend the fence around two Jewish settlements – Ariel and Kedumim – is likely to receive cabinet approval.
However, it has been criticised heavily by the international community for putting the fragile peace process in jeopardy and encroaching on Palestinian territory.
