Israel kills Hamas commander in West Bank

Zababdeh (West Bank), Aug 30

Israeli forces killed a local commander of the Islamist movement Hamas in the flashpoint city of Jenin on Friday as they pressed a major operation in the occupied West Bank for a third day, the Israeli military said.

The military said Border Police forces had killed Wassem Hazem, who it said was the head of Hamas in Jenin and was involved in shooting and bombing attacks in the Palestinian territory.

Two other Hamas gunmen who tried to escape the car they were all travelling in were killed by a drone, it said, adding that weapons, explosives and large sums of cash were found in the vehicle.

Hamas confirmed the death of all three men, who it said were members of its Al-Qassam Brigades armed wing.

Israeli armoured personnel carriers backed by helicopters and drones pushed into Jenin and Tulkarm on Friday while armoured bulldozers ploughed up roads to destroy roadside bombs planted by the militant groups.

The escalation in hostilities in the West Bank takes place as fighting still rages in the Gaza Strip.