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An IAF helicopter evading an anti-tank missile reportedly fired by Palestinian militants in Gaza. (Reuters)
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IDF kills 8 militants in Gaza, including Jihad commander
By Yuval Azoulay and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service
Tags: Islamic Jihad, Palestinians 

The Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet security service killed at least eight Hamas and Islamic Jihad gunmen in three separate incidents in the Gaza Strip Thursday. Among the dead was the head of rocket and explosive manufacturing for Islamic Jihad in Gaza.

Mohammed Abdallah Abu Murshad was killed together with two other operatives when he was struck by Israel Air Force missiles while walking in a refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

In another incident, an IAF aircraft fired at a car containing a large quantity of munitions in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, killing two Islamic Jihad operatives. A security source said they were on their way to a terror attack.
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Early Friday morning, IAF missiles killed a Hamas militant and injured five people near Khan Yunis.

Southern Command is gearing up for Qassam rocket fire from Islamic Jihad in response to the killings.

Also on Friday, Mu'tasem Sharif, 22, a member of the PA security forces, was killed by IDF troops outside his Ramallah home while trying to escape arrest.

Sharif was a bodyguard of the Palestinian Authority's chief negotiator Ahmed Qureia.

The IDF said that Sharif opened fire on soldiers during an arrest operation, and they responded in kind, killing him.

According to the IDF, Sharif was suspected of smuggling weapons to Fatah's military wing. Members of the PA's security force and Fatah have been involved of late in attempted or successful attacks on Israelis, including the murder of Kedumim resident Ido Zoldan earlier this month.

Thursday afternoon, three Hamas men were killed near Khan Yunis by fire from an IAF helicopter and an IDF unit on the ground after the militants fired an antitank missile at an IDF bulldozer. Shortly before the incident, a video was broadcast that showed an antitank missile fired at an IDF helicopter gunship. Military sources said the pilots had not noticed the missile, but the video footage would be scrutinized.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has recently expressed satisfaction with the security forces' operations against terror organizations in the Gaza Strip. The defense establishment believes that the military and economic pressure on Hamas could lead the organization to ask for a cease-fire and pledge to halt rocket fire by smaller factions.

In the West Bank, an undercover Border Police unit raided the home of Samer Saadi, a wanted senior member of Islamic Jihad, and arrested him. IDF forces also arrested about 20 other wanted men yesterday in several West Bank cities.

Yoav Stern adds:

The Palestinian news agency Maan reported Thursday that Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Cairo thawed the frozen talks over the release of kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. According to the report, Egypt managed to bring about more flexibility in Israel's position.

Israel agreed to release 200 of the most senior Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Shalit, Maan said, including organizational leaders and veteran prisoners. The report said the information came from "important sources," but gave no details as to their identity.

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      1.   Israel`s doing what pals were supposed to do ,combat terror 15:41  |  Absolute Sweden 27/12/07
      2.   They won`t stay long 15:53  |  Steve 27/12/07
      3.   BRAVE IDF/IAF 17:59  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 27/12/07
      4.   Chipping away at the terror machine - Good job IDF 18:52  |  Marwan مروان خوري 27/12/07
      5.   Question 18:55  |  Phillipe T. Lucre 27/12/07
      6.   Keep steadfast with the pressure..so Palis oust Hamas 19:41  |  The Equalizer 27/12/07
      7.   More innocent peace loving terrorists brutally killed by Israel 20:07  |  Dan 27/12/07
      8.   MILITANTS 21:15  |  JH 27/12/07
      9.   Militant? Call the for what they are TERRORISTS!! 21:41  |  JB 27/12/07
      10.   i really do get paid for my stupid post 22:25  |  Marwan مروان خوري 27/12/07
      11.   Brace your self for the dutch response 22:31  |  Adrian de Klerk 27/12/07
      12.   bravo idf 22:42  |  alan 27/12/07
      13.   These daily Israeli raids & summary killings are war crimes. 22:56  |  POP 27/12/07
      14.   Great job, IDF 22:59  |  KUTW 27/12/07
      15.   Phillipe T. Lucre of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 23:04  |  akiva (zionist) 27/12/07
      16.   JH, you sound sick, yourself! 23:09  |  akiva (zionist) 27/12/07
      17.   8. To Terrorist Lover JH: They are out to kill innocent children 23:10  |  Rob 27/12/07
      18.   8. JH. TERRORISTS 23:11  |  KUTW 27/12/07
      19.   Go IDF/IAF !!! 23:15  |  akiva (zionist) 27/12/07
      20.   More shameful killing of Palestinians by the IDF 23:16  |  Dutch 27/12/07
      21.   This is a slaughter--No more Military Aid to Israel ! 23:32  |  Dutch 27/12/07
      22.   Get Ready for the Clowns 23:32  |  Honest Observation 27/12/07
      23.   They refuse to heed my warning 23:33  |  leo 27/12/07
      24.   Israel is doing a great job 23:33  |  Joey 27/12/07
      25.   Israel wants to swap1400 Assaydas for Shalit 23:34  |  Alan 27/12/07
      26.   #8 Buhahaha! 23:36  |  Gili 27/12/07
      27.   only 8? 23:38  |  Carl 27/12/07
      28.   5 - Answer 23:42  |  Erik 27/12/07
      29.   Killers 23:43  |  Ben 27/12/07
      30.   #7 Dan, More Facist like killing by the IDF 23:44  |  dutch 27/12/07
      31.   well done; now plan on bombing the terror rally `funeral` 23:45  |  frenz 27/12/07
      32.   bad day to be a terrorist 23:49  |  Richard S 27/12/07
      33.   "Haaretz" 100% on the side of terrorists,"assassinate"= 23:55  |  Absolute Sweden 27/12/07
      34.   Dutch ? your army killed 20,000 INNOCENT civilians in Kosovo 23:58  |  Dan 27/12/07
      35.   Honest Observation 23:59  |  The Gentile 27/12/07
      36.   DUTCH 00:04  |  vik 28/12/07
      37.   Dutch Dutch Dutch 00:09  |  Dr. Dizzle 28/12/07
      38.   Dutch: I am ashamed 00:10  |  Dan 28/12/07
      39.   POP go his braincells.... 00:15  |  Steve 28/12/07
      40.   idf kills islamic militants 00:18  |  marcel 28/12/07
      41.   How much costs an anti-tank missile? 00:21  |  Manager 28/12/07
      42.   POP, BOP! 00:22  |  Brant 28/12/07
      43.   Dutch - you really are pathetic. 00:22  |  Steve 28/12/07
      44.   #21, 22 Dutch 00:27  |  leo 28/12/07
      45.   More terrorists eliminated: Peace Nobel Prize for IDF/IAF! 00:28  |  Pope 28/12/07
      46.   #31 frenz 00:29  |  leo 28/12/07
      47.   To Dutch 00:30  |  Realist 28/12/07
      48.   Dutch,greetings,curious that we don`t hear much about wounded idf 00:30  |  lakshmi 28/12/07
      49.   #20 & 21 00:33  |  Adrian de Klerk 28/12/07
      50.   Dutchie-Dutch: Why don`t you follow advice of Doris Cadigan? You 00:37  |  Vittorio 28/12/07
      51.   IDF kills eight militants in Gaza, including top Islamic Jihad co 00:40  |  apl 28/12/07
      52.   excellent job by IDF, IAF and all others 00:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/12/07
      53.   Frenz 00:42  |  Edifice 28/12/07
      54.   Keep it up,IDF...good job 00:42  |  Nemesis 28/12/07
      55.   Gaza Strikes 00:42  |  Gary 28/12/07
      56.   leftists have that yellow spine a mile wide-big dave! 00:45  |  Mark 28/12/07
      57.   #21 Dutch 00:46  |  Robert Fattal 28/12/07
      58.   jihad 00:48  |  rico 28/12/07
      59.   keep the pressure on 00:51  |  real vision 28/12/07
      60.   Dutch and POP blindly support terror! 00:52  |  DR 28/12/07
      61.   #26 Gil, I believe I have it very well... 00:57  |  Dutch 28/12/07
      62.   #8 JH 01:00  |  tell me 28/12/07
      63.   # 8 JH Re Militants 01:00  |  Dutch 28/12/07
      64.   To Dutch 01:06  |  MLK 28/12/07
      65.   Absolute Sweden @#33 01:08  |  akiva (zionist) 28/12/07
      66.   frenz of Manchester 01:12  |  akiva (zionist) 28/12/07
      67.   Dutch are you broke after Xmas? 01:18  |  Dutch needs a raise 28/12/07
      68.   How Sweet It Is! 01:20  |  Robert 28/12/07
      69.   Hey Swedee 01:28  |  Binco 28/12/07
      70.   The author, the translator or the editor? 01:33  |  Robert 28/12/07
      71.   GREAT WORK IDF! 01:39  |  Nechama 28/12/07
      72.   #31 I`am with you Frenz. 01:40  |  Séamus 28/12/07
      73.   30 so now Dutch... 01:41  |  Daniel 28/12/07
      74.   Such wonderful news, way to go IDF! 01:44  |  Johnny 28/12/07
      75.   IDF kills.. 01:48  |  EA 28/12/07
      76.   Well done IDF / IAF targetting terrorists 01:53  |  Free Gilad Shalit 28/12/07
      77.   Support IDF 02:04  |  Al 28/12/07
      78.   MILITANTS KILLED 02:08  |  MIK 28/12/07
      79.   #30 Dutch is in an ornery mood today!! 02:09  |  Conroy 28/12/07
      80.   POP: As requested, let me attack your ideas 02:21  |  Dan 28/12/07