An Israeli soldier and a Palestinian have become the latest victims of the continuing violence in the Middle East. The soldier was killed in The Gaza Strip when an explosive device went off in a so-called joint liaison office, used by Israeli and Palestinian personnel. The Israelis promptly ordered Palestinians to leave the offices in Gaza and the West Bank, but they are refusing to do this.
In the West Bank town of Nablus, a Palestinian militant belonging to Hamas was killed in rocket attack; Palestinians blame the Israelis, but they deny involvement. Officials with Hamas identified the man as 34-year-old Ibrahim Beni Ouda, a member of the movement's military wing, Ezzeddin al-Qassam. A Hamas official in Nablus said that Mr Ouda, who had been in a Palestinian jail in Nablus for three years on charges of making bombs, was released yesterday. Witnesses said that Israeli Army helicopters had been circling overhead before the vehicle was destroyed and that an explosive projectile appeared to have come from above, judging from the badly damaged car.
