UPDATED ON:
Saturday, April 21, 2007
23:48 Mecca time, 20:48 GMT
 
News Middle East
Israeli missile kills Palestinian

An Israeli missile destroyed a car near the site from which three rockets had been fired into Israel

A Palestinian bystander was killed when an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a car being driven by members of Islamic Jihad.

The air strike came after three rockets were fired into southern Israel from the area.

One of the rockets hit a house in the Israeli border town of Sderot but did not cause any injuries, police said on Saturday.
Three Palestinian groups - Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades - claimed joint responsibility for the rocket attack.

In a statement, they said the attack was to avenge the deaths of Palestinian fighters shot dead earlier on Saturday.

A Palestinian security source said the three fighters were killed by an Israeli undercover unit while driving their car in the West Bank city of Jenin.
 
Late on Saturday night, troops returned to the Jenin refugee camp, sparking a fierce firefight with local fighters.

Palestinian officials said the 17-year-old girl, identified as Bushra Wahash, was shot by Israeli gunfire as she peered out the window of her home. The army was investigating the report.

The air strike was the first in the Gaza Strip since a ceasefire was agreed last November.

 

Police officer killed

A Palestinian policeman was also shot dead by Israeli troops operating in a village near Jenin, a Palestinian security source said.

 

"Killing the Palestinian policeman means that Israel's escalation does not even rule out the Palestinian security services"

Adnan al-Damiri, Jenin's police chief
Israeli forces had raided Kafr Dan looking for people it described as "wanted activists", Al Jazeera's correspondent reported.  

 

Residents told Al Jazeera that Israeli snipers positioned on the occupied buildings opened fire at Abed.  

 

His family said he was in the house at the time and unarmed. He was shot twice and died immediately, they said.

 

Israeli forces continued to carry out search operations in Kafr Dan and detained at least  10 people,.

 

Adnan al-Damiri, Jenin's police chief, accused the Israeli army of targeting its officers and held it responsible for the ongoing escalation in Jenin.

 

"Killing the Palestinian policeman means that Israel's escalation does not even rule out the Palestinian security services," al-Damiri said.  

 

Palestinian police consider the Israeli operation an attempt to obstruct its efforts to restore security in Jenin, he added.  

 

School attacked

In Gaza City, three explosive devices were set off in the American International School causing damage but no injuries, Palestinian security sources and witnesses said.


Three explosive devices were set off at the 
American International School [AFP]
 
"A large number of masked gunmen attacked the school at dawn. They poured petrol all around and blew up several explosive devices and destroyed some of the premises," Rebhi Salem, the school's director, said.


The armed men said they were part of an al-Qaeda organisation operating in Gaza, he added.


The school is a private institution that is part of an association of "American Schools" in the Middle East. The curriculum stresses English as well as Arabic studies. None of the teachers are American and a US embassy official said the school has no connection to the US government.

Two members of staff were briefly abducted from the school in March 2006.

 Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
 
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