Israel kills Hamas militant in West Bank — medics

NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) – Israeli soldiers shot dead a
wanted member of the Hamas militant group in a predawn raid in
the West Bank town of Nablus on Monday, Palestinian witnesses
and medics said.

The raid came hours before U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice was to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders in
Jerusalem and the West Bank in a bid to revive peace talks
stalled by violence.

More than a dozen explosions and several exchanges of fire
were heard as soldiers in 15 jeeps raided an eastern part of
Nablus and arrested several militants, witnesses said.

During the raid troops killed Amjan Hanawi, 34, of Hamas,
medics said. Witnesses said Hanawi had been shot at the head at
close range. The circumstances were unclear.

The Israeli army had no immediate comment.

Israel has conducted raids against militant hideouts on
nearly a nightly basis since a suicide bombing late last month
killed six Israelis in an open-air market in the town of
Hadera.

Palestinians criticize the raids, saying they obstruct
their efforts to restore order in the occupied territory to
prepare the ground for peace talks under a U.S.-backed “road
map” plan.