The armed wing of the militant Islamic group Hamas, Izz elDin Al-Qassam, said today it was behind the killing of two Israelis in the West Bank and that it had filmed them being kidnapped and executed.
"We in the Izz el-Din Al-Qassam are responsible for the kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers, members of Israel's public security service Shin Bet, near Tulkarm. After kidnapping them, they were filmed and killed," said a caller who said he belonged to the group.
The bodies of the two Israelis were found near the West Bank town of Tulkarm on Tuesday by Palestinian police who handed them over to the Israeli army.
Israeli Prime Minister Mr Ehud Barak recalled his top negotiators from peace talks with the Palestinians in Taba, Egypt, after the bodies were found.
Israeli media reported that the dead Israelis were not members of Israel's security forces, but restaurant owners from Tel Aviv who were on business in the Tulkarm area. The media said the two were eating lunch at a local restaurant when Palestinian gunmen seized them and shot them in the head.
-Reuters