An Israeli helicopter gunship killed an Islamic militant in a missile attack on his car in the Gaza Strip yesterday. The killing came hours after Palestinian gunmen shot dead an Israeli soldier in the West Bank.
Heavy fighting later erupted between the Israeli army and Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, just outside Jerusalem, and both sides said the conflict was worsening in the seventh month of a Palestinian uprising.
At least one Israeli soldier and six Palestinians were hurt in the fighting, including a four-year-old girl who was in critical condition, Palestinian sources said.
The killing of Mohammed Abdelal of the Islamic Jihad group in the Gaza Strip signalled Israel's determination to target field activists suspected of carrying out or planning bombings inside Israel.
Witnesses saw three missiles fired by the helicopter strike Mr Abdelal's car in the Brazil refugee camp in the Rafah area bordering Egypt. One said the vehicle was reduced to cinders.
"The first missile hit the rear of the car and Mr Abdelal struggled to get out of the driver's seat into the road. Another two missiles hit the vehicle, turning it into a ball of flames," said Mr Salim Abu Yedin, a resident of the camp.
Israeli security sources said Mr Abdelal had been involved in several bombings since 1994, including at a soldiers' hitchhiking post in Israel in 1995, in which 22 people were killed.
"Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he was in the very advanced stages of carrying out further terrorist attacks," one of the sources said.
The militant Hamas and Islamic Jihad vowed to avenge Mr Adelal's killing. Hamas, which has carried out several bombings in the past, including two last week that killed at least two Israelis, said it had seven suicide bombers ready to attack.
Late on Sunday, Palestinian gunmen had shot dead an Israeli soldier in the West Bank. The 23-year-old reservist was shot in the head during an exchange of fire near a Jewish settlement outside the Palestinian city of Nablus, the army said.
Over the weekend in the West Bank, Israel seized a civilian and five members of Force-17, one of several Palestinian security organisations. Israeli media reports said the men were suspected of links to bombings inside Israel.
"It is clear that things are escalating," Israeli cabinet minister Mr Matan Vilnai told Israel Radio yesterday.
A car-bomb exploded later alongside a group of Israeli soldiers near Nablus, the army said. No casualties were reported. Hamas's military wing took responsibility for the carbomb and the shooting in Bethlehem.
Palestinian officials have accused Israel of assassinating at least 20 Palestinian activists since the uprising against Israeli occupation erupted.
Israel has said it does not pursue a policy of assassination but the Prime Minister, Mr Ariel Sharon's government has pledg ed to end what defence chief Mr Binyamin Ben-Eliezer called a "policy of restraint".
At least 13 Palestinians were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes in the West Bank village of al-Khader.
A Palestinian sniper shot dead a 19 year-old Israeli soldier in Bethlehem, the army said, hours after Mohammed Abdelal was killed. Heavy fighting erupted afterwards.
