Rockets on Israel, IDF kills Islamic Jihad commander

As the shaky truce neared its end, Gaza terrorists fired four Kassam rockets and a mortar shell at southern Israel Tuesday morning. This came after Israeli army, IDF, troops had killed a senior Islamic Jihad commander in a West Bank night operation, the Jerusalem Post reports. Rockets on Israel, IDF kills Islamic Jihad commander The rockets hit open fields in the Eshkol region and the mortar shell landed in the Sdot Negev area. No casualties or damage were reported. The top Islamic Jihad terror operative was killed overnight Monday in a joint IDF-Border Police-Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) arrest operation. According to Palestinian reports, IDF troops first tried to arrest 23-year-old Jihad Nwada, commander of the Islamic Jihad's Quds Brigades, and one of the organization's senior commanders in the northern West Bank, at an internet-café in a village near Jenin. Nwada tried to escape and was killed in the ensuing exchange of fire, they said. The IDF confirmed Nwada had tried to escape, and said that the troops aimed to shoot him in the lower part of the body. After he was wounded, the troops began evacuating him to a nearby hospital, but Nwada died on the way, said the army. His body was transferred to the Red Cross. Security forces said Nwada was active in a terror cell that intended to commit a terror attack in the near future and was wanted by the IDF for several months. Nwada was arrested by the Palestinian Authority in 2008 and released in September. According to security sources, after his release, he resumed his activities in the terror organization. On Monday, smaller Palestinian terrorist factions in Gaza said they were unlikely to extend the truce that expires this Friday. Gaza's ruling Hamas was set to meet with the groups to discuss the next move. The groups include Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees. Khader Habib of Islamic Jihad said the truce didn't pay off for Gaza because Israel kept the territory sealed most of the time, contrary to initial expectations. Hamas officials have given conflicting statements on the future of the cease-fire. Hamas and other Gaza factions agreed to a six-month truce in June.

Rockets on Israel, IDF kills Islamic Jihad commander

The rockets hit open fields in the Eshkol region and the mortar shell landed in the Sdot Negev area. No casualties or damage were reported.

The top Islamic Jihad terror operative was killed overnight Monday in a joint IDF-Border Police-Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) arrest operation.

According to Palestinian reports, IDF troops first tried to arrest 23-year-old Jihad Nwada, commander of the Islamic Jihad's Quds Brigades, and one of the organization's senior commanders in the northern West Bank, at an internet-café in a village near Jenin. Nwada tried to escape and was killed in the ensuing exchange of fire, they said.

The IDF confirmed Nwada had tried to escape, and said that the troops aimed to shoot him in the lower part of the body. After he was wounded, the troops began evacuating him to a nearby hospital, but Nwada died on the way, said the army. His body was transferred to the Red Cross.

Security forces said Nwada was active in a terror cell that intended to commit a terror attack in the near future and was wanted by the IDF for several months.

Nwada was arrested by the Palestinian Authority in 2008 and released in September.

According to security sources, after his release, he resumed his activities in the terror

organization.

On Monday, smaller Palestinian terrorist factions in Gaza said they were unlikely to extend the truce that expires this Friday.

Gaza's ruling Hamas was set to meet with the groups to discuss the next move. The groups include Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committees.

Khader Habib of Islamic Jihad said the truce didn't pay off for Gaza because Israel kept the territory sealed most of the time, contrary to initial expectations. Hamas officials have given conflicting statements on the future of the cease-fire.

Hamas and other Gaza factions agreed to a six-month truce in June.