Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., May 20, 2008 Iyyar 15, 5768 | | Israel Time: 19:11 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 23:27 19/05/2008 IDF kills would-be bomber at West Bank checkpoint By Amos Harel and Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies Tags: Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Israel  The Israel Defense Forces killed an armed Palestinian man at the Hawara checkpoint in the West Bank city of Nablus Monday afternoon. The IDF said that a Palestinian man arrived at a checkpoint acting suspiciously while pacing back and forth. The force manning the checkpoint called on him to identify himself and noted that he was handling an object that appeared to be an explosives belt secured to his body. A witness, taxi driver Mohammed Mustafa, told The Associated Press "they asked him to lift up his shirt and raise his arms and then they shot him." Advertisement The troops then fired at the man when he lowered his hands suddenly toward the explosives. An IDF investigation revealed that the man had been carrying three pipe bombs. The IDF spokeswoman said army sappers later detonated the pipe bombs at the scene in a controlled explosion. A Palestinian security source in Nablus said the dead individual was a 16-year-old youth from the village of Beit Furik near the city. Other details were not immediately available. Corporal Michal Ya'akov of the military police told Haaretz that "the entire event lasted maybe 30 seconds. I was a half a meter away from him [the attacker] and I asked him to pass through the metal detector. When he went through, the apparatus beeped. I asked him to raise his arms and then I saw under his shirt the explosives, secured to his pants. I yelled 'explosives in the checkpoint' and the entire team reacted perfectly. We told him to lie on the ground so that the explosion will go down into the ground, but he refused. Then I saw that he was lowering his arms suddenly and the checkpoint commander fired several shots at him. I suppose he was trying to detonate the explosives and blow himself up." Ya'akov added that there was no prior intelligence regarding a possible suicide bomber making his way toward Israel. Another IDF soldier involved in the incident told reporters that it was clear to her that the man was intending to attack the checkpoint. "There were no other Palestinians in the area when he tried to blow himself up, from his behavior it appeared as if he was not intending to get into Israel but wanted to blow himself up at the checkpoint and attack the soldiers there," she said in a telephone interview. IDF troops later entered the village to search for the house of the attacker's family, local residents said. Israel maintains it needs the checkpoints in order to stop Palestinian attackers. Palestinian troops arrest two Islamic Jihad leaders in Jenin Earlier Monday, a Palestinian security official said that forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have arrested two Islamic Jihad leaders in a U.S.-backed law-and-order campaign in the West Bank. Abdel Fatah Khuzaimiah, who was detained on Sunday, was the most senior militant taken into custody in the northern West Bank since hundreds of pro-Abbas security men deployed in the city of Jenin two weeks ago. The security official said Jihad Nawadha, another Islamic Jihad commander in the area, was arrested by Palestinian forces on Friday. Washington hopes the security campaign will show that Abbas can rein in militant groups - Israel's main condition for Palestinian statehood. Both Khuzaimiah and Nawadha were long wanted by Israel. In a separate incident, IDF troops operating in Jenin early Monday arrested Amar Saleh Abu Alon, a senior Islamic Jihad militant, an Israeli military spokesman said. Islamic Jihad was responsible for numerous suicide bombings in Israel after a Palestinian uprising began in 2000. Israel says its raids in the West Bank, condemned by Palestinian officials as undermining Abbas's security efforts, help to prevent attacks on Israelis. In the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, Hamas security forces questioned Osama al-Fara, an Abbas loyalist and the governor of the southern town of Khan Younis, for four hours, sources in Abbas's Fatah movement said. Ehab al-Ghsain, spokesman of the Hamas-run Interior Ministry, said Fara was asked about an invitation that was sent to Fatah supporters to attend at the governate building "the first celebration after the bloody Hamas coup". Hamas seized the Gaza Strip from Fatah in fighting last June. "We told (Fara) that governate headquarters belongs to all of the Palestinian people and must not be used by a single party to incite against others," Ghsain told Reuters. Ghsain said the planned event was cancelled. Employees at Fara's office suspended work in protest at his interrogation. Fara denied any Fatah involvement in organising the gathering. "I believe that Hamas does not want like to see any institutions existing in Gaza except those that belong to it," Fara said. Separately, Hamas forces released Bashir Abu Hattab, a senior employee at Abbas's office in Gaza who was arrested six days ago. The Interior Ministry spokesman declined immediate comment. Related articles: Tony Blair: Israel agrees to ease West Bank restrictions UN: Despite Israel's promises, West Bank barriers have increased Donor nations: Israel must lift West Bank barriers Two Israeli guards killed in West Bank shooting; third flees Bookmark to del.icio.us   Fear of extinction The state of over 20 species of birds in Israel has worsened considerably. Taking advantage Jerusalem police probe possible gang rape of disabled woman.   1.   Iran, please keep sending them directly into the hands of Shabak 18:59  |  Genuine Tosefta 19/05/08   2.   The question is not whether PA can arrest, but can they keep 20:36  |  Jon 19/05/08   3.   amazing jails 20:53  |  Odedavivehila 19/05/08   4.   And some keep calling for the taking out of the checkpoints... 22:32  |  Nurit 19/05/08   5.   Checkpoints Save Lives Yet Again 22:52  |  Yishai Kohen 19/05/08   6.   Yet more evidence that checkpoints save lives 22:53  |  Realist 19/05/08   7.   Great news: one terrorist less 23:05  |  KUTW 19/05/08   8.   Checkpoints are great 23:07  |  KUTW 19/05/08   9.   Checkpoints save lives 23:08  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 19/05/08   10.   Palestinian mothers teach their kids to hate and use terror 23:24  |  Johnny 19/05/08   11.   I`m sure they were only bombettes 23:34  |  Weeping heart 19/05/08   12.   Excellent post, Genuine Tosefta, # 1. 23:39  |  Fortuna Benmayor 19/05/08   13.   Could the PA do such a job? 23:42  |  Fortuna Benmayor 19/05/08   14.   The worrying, unsettled part of this incident. 23:45  |  Fortuna Benmayor 19/05/08   15.   would-be bomber 23:46  |  Shmuelshachor 19/05/08   16.   Silvienne - Please take notice 23:51  |  * BEN JABO 19/05/08   17.   unoticed 00:24  |  sam 20/05/08   18.   Clickfool? Natalie? Dutch? POP? Care to comment? 00:24  |  Mark 20/05/08   19.   HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS WILL 00:31  |  DISRAELI 20/05/08   20.   Animals. killing a defenseless 16 year old boy 00:40  |  PsSD OFF ARAB 20/05/08   21.   You still believe that crab 00:50  |  Palestinian 20/05/08   22.   Another innocent terrorist killed 00:58  |  Dan 20/05/08   23.   What a stupid thing to do -kill a man with explosives 01:10  |  Dutch 20/05/08   24.   checkpoints - obstacles to liberation 01:10  |  Leon Rosgarten 20/05/08   25.   durson didn`t get paid for this week 01:32  |  hal tripp 20/05/08   26.   "I believe that Hamas does not want like to see any institutions 01:37  |  Joseph . E 20/05/08   27.   to #11 and all 01:38  |  Osama 20/05/08   28.   "Zionists killing innocent Pal child again" - Clickfool & Co. 01:39  |  Clickfool & Co. 20/05/08   29.   to johnny 01:42  |  Osama 20/05/08   30.   Thank G-d for the wall - Sorry Pals 01:45  |  Rightster 20/05/08   31.   why isnt his family house demolished?? 01:53  |  vik 20/05/08   32.   Consequencdes of one`s Actions 02:08  |  Douglas Fireman 20/05/08   33.   To 16 year old - 02:21  |  Mikey 20/05/08   34.   # 9 Mark 02:29  |  Joseph . E 20/05/08   35.   palipal 12 - don`t confuse us with the facts? 03:16  |  natan 20/05/08   36.   Osama bin-Liner in Svensk 03:20  |  natan 20/05/08   37.   #12 Palestinian -- Fairy tale 03:24  |  Canuck #17b 20/05/08   38.   To Dutch #14, why stupid? 04:12  |  Michael 20/05/08   39.   While arabs pretend to talk about peace with us , they brainwash 04:14  |  Joseph . E 20/05/08   40.   Wrong Place At The Wrong Time 05:11  |  Douglas Fireman 20/05/08   41.   Sexual Deprivation 05:59  |  Michael 20/05/08   42.   Free Access To All of Palestine? 06:05  |  Douglas Fireman 20/05/08   43.   Nablus-Innocent Child Indeed 06:21  |  Douglas Fireman 20/05/08   44.   #12 fulusteen & #18 Osama 09:15  |  MR 20/05/08   45.   Legitimate Targets 09:33  |  Sam 20/05/08   46.   Legitimate Targets Continued 10:37  |  Sam 20/05/08   47.   #24 Rosgarten - You`re full of thorns and baloney 18:36  |  * BEN JABO 20/05/08   48.   #23 FAKE POST " NOT BY DUTCH" 18:38  |  * BEN JABO 20/05/08

Read & React Israel-Hamas truce in Gaza could take effect later this week Responses: 65 Amos Harel: Iran's fingerprints all over Gaza strife Responses: 71 McCain blasts Obama for Iran threat comments Responses: 122 Jerusalem, Petah Tikva ban 'Sex in the City' film adverts Responses: 56 Rosner's Domain Guests: In regard to Hezbollah, Israeli deterrence works Hyping the threat from Iran (WTR) Poll: Meeting the president of Iran - good or bad? "Controlled Unclassified Information" and the AIPAC trial (WTR) What makes Nancy Pelosi pro-Israeli? More Headlines 18:47 Supreme Court denies Olmert bid to block testimony against him 17:19 Three Palestinians killed in IAF strikes on Gaza 13:17 Israel-Hamas truce in Gaza could take effect later this week 11:51 ANALYSIS: In Gaza conflict, Iran's fingerprints are everywhere 17:44 Comptroller: Olmert waited 18 months to make decision on Darfur refugees 18:04 Orthodox Jewish youths burn New Testaments in Or Yehuda 18:44 German firefighting team apologizes for Hitler quote 16:11 Sexless city: 'Sex in the City' adverts banned in Jerusalem 16:00 Al Gore, in Israel: We face a planetary emergency 18:11 Egypt PM wants Israel to pay more for its natural gas 14:55 Ex-Sephardi Chief Rabbi Eliyahu hospitalized in critical condition 14:54 German Muslim sentenced to 3 years in jail for stabbing rabbi 11:52 McCain blasts Obama for saying Iran poses lesser threat than Soviets Previous Editions Select Day 19 may 18 may 16 may 15 may 14 may 13 may 12 may 11 may 09 may 08 may 07 may 06 may

Special Offers Advertisement Dead Sea Products Buy Dead Sea mineral skin care and beauty products. Coupon code Haaretz for 10% off. Istudy Learn Hebrew in 3 months The Terraces Your Ultimate Coastal Address On Nitza Boulevard, North Netanya Together Celebrating Israel's 60th The Jewish Agency and You - together making history Pardes Institute Summer Sessions http://www.pardes.org.il/ Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th