A Hamas militant wanted by Israel was killed today when Israeli troops raided the home of one of his relatives in the occupied West Bank.
Ali Sweti (40), a member of Hamas's Izz el-Deen al-Qassam brigades, was suspected of involvement in six anti-Israeli attacks, including a shooting that killed an Israeli paramilitary border policeman in 2004.
The security officials said Sweti did not heed Israeli soldiers' calls to surrender after they surrounded his relative's house in Beit Awwa, near the town of Hebron.
A gun battle ensued and an Israeli bulldozer demolished part of the dwelling.
In a statement, the Israeli military characterised the raid as an "arrest operation" and said Sweti shot first after refusing to give up. "The terrorist continued to fire at the force, and was ultimately killed," the statement said.
Relatives said Sweti's body was found under the rubble along with his rifle.
The Palestinian Authority has condemned Israeli raids in the West Bank, saying such operations undermine its attempts to police the area effectively.
In 2007, Hamas violently wrested control of the Gaza Strip from Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, which holds sway in the West Bank.
Reuters