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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 former PA premier's bodyguard during W. Bank raid
By Yuval Azoulay and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service
Tags: Islamic Jihad, Gaza 

Israel Defense Forces troops killed one of Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia's bodyguards on Friday during an arrest operation in Ramallah.

Israel has been limiting its operations in the West Bank, ruled by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as it negotiates a peace agreement with Abbas's moderate government.

On Thursday, Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia announced that peace talks would continue after a spat over Israeli settlements.
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But late Thursday, the Israeli military sent a team into a suburb of Ramallah, the seat of Abbas' government, to arrest one of Qureia's bodyguards, a member of the Palestinian security forces who the military said was implicated in armed activity against Israel and had provided weapons to other militants.

"He opened fire at troops and they fired back, killing him," the IDF said.

Palestinian security officials denied that the bodyguard, 23-year-old Mu'tasem Sharif fired at troops. Qureia, a former Palestinian prime minister, had no immediate comment.

The raid went ahead despite Israel's decision to largely stop pursuing members of Abbas' Fatah movement, which Israel is seeking to strengthen against its rivals, the Islamic militants of Hamas.

Troops kill Jihad commander in Gaza
Meanwhile, IDF troops 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.

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.

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.   Let`s even out the field and send the poor Pal. Skuds 09:25  |  Hypocrisy Monitor 28/12/07
      2.   The best business in Gaza....funerals 10:10  |  maurice 28/12/07
      3.   business as usual 10:13  |  ravi 28/12/07
      4.   #3ravi 10:31  |  danny 28/12/07
      5.   marvellous marvellous marvellous 10:56  |  har-zion 28/12/07
      6.   ravi of chandigarh 11:04  |  guru nanak 28/12/07
      7.   #3 ravi 11:20  |  Steve 28/12/07
      8.   Thank you Pals for the infos given to the Shin Bet 11:20  |  maurice 28/12/07
      9.   Honour killings 11:49  |  Stephen Neim 28/12/07
      10.   Israel is forced to defend, but it goes nowhere 12:30  |  Natallie Durson 28/12/07
      11.   guru nanak, ravi is not from Punjab 12:38  |  S 28/12/07
      12.   hypocrisy 12:48  |  Israeli 28/12/07
      13.   whenever terrorists are killed in gaza 12:57  |  meir dagan 28/12/07
      14.   Natalie Duhson weeps for Dead Terrorists 12:58  |  Barry 28/12/07
      15.   Nevewr could understand security cooperation with Israel. 12:59  |  El-Birawi 28/12/07
      16.   #10 nutullie and more inane commentaries 13:01  |  victor hardman 28/12/07
      17.   Hamas is seeking a hudna, they fear to become martyrs 13:03  |  maurice 28/12/07
      18.   ENOUGH Of The US/Quartet/Leaders Being Israel`s Poodle! ...Lead!! 13:06  |  Proud Pal Defender 28/12/07
      19.   60 terrorists killed in 3 weeks, excellent 13:10  |  maurice 28/12/07
      20.   Durson what you think is irrelevant because 13:18  |  Omar 28/12/07
      21.   Hypocrisy Monitor 13:19  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 28/12/07
      22.   to natallie 13:28  |  jean marie 28/12/07
      23.   haaretz editor why is it the newspaper 13:33  |  har-zion 28/12/07
      24.   I agree with you Barry 13:40  |  jean marie 28/12/07
      25.   Natalie the naive American 13:59  |  Aby 28/12/07
      26.   Zionist news management 14:02  |  Chanalau, Tova 28/12/07
      27.   #3 Ravi, Indeed business as usual. Even PA does not deny that ... 14:20  |  Max Zinger,P.Chimist 28/12/07
      28.   The best business in Gaza.....funerals 14:30  |  Robert of Jerusalem 28/12/07
      29.   How interesting, the body guard of the chief negotiator of the 14:52  |  Avshalom 28/12/07
      30.   the occupation just got more expensive 15:16  |  cooddles for pic 28/12/07
      31.   In addition to bribes,a warning to Qurei that he give everything 15:36  |  lakshmi 28/12/07
      32.   Encouraging photograph 15:44  |  Clickfool 28/12/07
      33.   6...guru nanak?get real 15:52  |  ravi 28/12/07
      34.   Pal Defender.....Wil you be going to the ME soon? 16:01  |  Lynn 28/12/07
      35.   (Applause) 16:15  |  Proud Zionist 28/12/07
      36.   3. ravi: Business as usual 16:17  |  KUTW 28/12/07
      37.   Israel is trying to prove something 16:27  |  Tosefta 28/12/07
      38.   #20 Avshalom, it was straightforward murder 16:35  |  Ben Alofs 28/12/07
      39.   To Durson 16:40  |  Major R 28/12/07
      40.   Poor Pal Defender 16:42  |  Tex 28/12/07
      41.   Hamas Has Been Extremely Unsuccesful (and dumb) 16:44  |  dyinglikeflies 28/12/07
      42.   #19, Omar 17:07  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/12/07
      43.   Great job 17:10  |  KUTW 28/12/07
      44.   Israel had no choice 17:14  |  Ricardo 28/12/07
      45.   #23 Tosefta you are not correct 17:32  |  Don Camillo 28/12/07
      46.   Most mature and grown up nations tend to... 17:36  |  Don Camillo 28/12/07
      47.   Palestinian denials and Palestinian affirmationss 17:50  |  chick 28/12/07
      48.   Israel and continued attempts to find non partner 18:02  |  Labhras 28/12/07
      49.   Amos Harel is two faced . 18:06  |  Robert of Jerusalem 28/12/07
      50.   Haaretz you loose credibility for employing two faced reporters 18:13  |  Robert of Jerusalem 28/12/07
      51.   Amos Harel is two faced . 18:22  |  Robert of Jerusalem 28/12/07
      52.   Well done, IDF (2nd try) 18:27  |  KUTW 28/12/07
      53.   #25 FROM IRELAND FORGOT ABOUT THE JEW BASHING IN IRELAND 18:37  |  HAL TRIPP 28/12/07
      54.   Natallie Durson # 10 Hamas Isn`t Going Anywhere Either 18:38  |  Jeff Northridge 28/12/07
      55.   For har Zion # 5, on Ben Wedeman of CNN. 18:40  |  Fortuna Benmayor 28/12/07
      56.   what should those raids 18:53  |  Kris 28/12/07
      57.   Avshalom, it sounds more like straightforward murder 19:17  |  Ben Alofs 28/12/07
      58.   Labhras # 25 What Action Do You Expect? 19:19  |  Jeff Northridge 28/12/07
      59.   The IDF is a heartless and soulless army 19:30  |  Dutch 28/12/07
      60.   TO BARRY IN TOKYO NO 14. 19:34  |  DANNY. 28/12/07
      61.   who is ben alofs 19:47  |  har-zion 28/12/07
      62.   Labras -2nd try 20:07  |  Uday 28/12/07
      63.   GHASTLY IMPOSTOR #23 has proven to hate Arabs to death 20:15  |  Genuine Tosefta 28/12/07
      64.   #35, Dutch... 20:34  |  Silvienne 28/12/07
      65.   #har-zion (or fagan etc.?), at least get the basic facts right. 21:48  |  Ben Alofs 28/12/07
      66.   Kris # 32 Statistically It Is Working 21:55  |  Jeff Northridge 28/12/07
      67.   (Even) More blood on Israel`s hands 22:04  |  peacelover 28/12/07
      68.   Dutch # 35 Strange Adjectives 22:26  |  Jeff Northridge 28/12/07
      69.   # 4 ravi...YOU SJHOULD TALK!! A LAUGH A MINUTE.FROM OVER YONDER.. 22:35  |  Kathy 28/12/07
      70.   # 11 *S* WOULND`T BE SURPRISED.VERY INCISIVE OF YOU.. 22:39  |  Kathy 28/12/07
      71.   TO NO 30 22:42  |  DANNY. 28/12/07
      72.   #5 Har-zion. "Tactic Targeting." 22:50  |  Maureen Ann 28/12/07
      73.   #35 - Dutch ah? 23:04  |  GPS 28/12/07
      74.   #35 7 #39 Dutch & Silvienne 23:13  |  leo 28/12/07
      75.   Well done Isreal. Oi dutch!! 23:23  |  Adrian de Klerk 28/12/07
      76.   #39 Silvienne - many?!?!?!? 23:39  |  Adrian de Klerk 28/12/07
      77.   ben alofs and the facts 23:41  |  har-zion 28/12/07
      78.   Body guard died decause he was stupid 23:42  |  Adrian de Klerk 28/12/07
      79.   quassam maker dead 23:45  |  Adrian de Klerk 28/12/07
      80.