Militia leader dies as Israel blockades towns
Israel renewed its blockade of several Palestinian towns in the West Bank today and killed a militia leader in a gun battle.
Khamis Abdullah, 42, was the head of a militia linked to Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement in the Askar refugee camp near the West Bank town of Nablus.
Palestinian officials said he died after he and members of his militia opened fire on Israeli tanks, drawing return fire. Israeli security sources said Abdullah was killed by Israeli commandos.
Earlier Israeli troops sealed off the West Bank towns of Qalqilya, Jenin, Tulkarem and Nablus, barring Palestinians from entering or leaving.
The blockade was seen as a relatively muted response to the killings of three civilians by Palestinian gunmen this week.
Israel has imposed travel bans on Palestinians periodically since the start of fighting in September 2000, restrictions Israel says are needed to keep suspected militants out of Israel.
Raanan Gissin, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, said the low key response came because ‘‘we don’t intend to escalate’’ the situation.
