Palestinian blows himself up and Israeli troops kill gunman during arrest raid in West Bank 

January 13, 2006
Khaleej Times
Original Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/January/middleeast_January313.xml&section=middleeast&col=

JERUSALEM – (AP) In the bloodiest incident between Israeli troops and Palestinians in nearly a month, a Palestinian militant blew himself up and Israeli troops shot dead another militant in a shootout during an arrest raid in the West Bank town of Jenin. 
The fighting Thursday between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants came as Palestinian candidates campaigned for Jan. 25 parliamentary elections.
“If this continues, it could seriously undermine the election,” said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. “We urge the United States and others in the international community to ensure that Israel stops such actions and gives us a chance to have free and fair elections.”
Polls show the Islamic Hamas, running on a platform of clean government, posing a strong challenge to the ruling Fatah Party. Fatah has been weakened by accusations of corruption and its inability to halt growing lawlessness in Palestinian areas, much of it caused by rogue gunmen affiliated with Fatah.
Late Thursday, Fatah gunmen demanding government jobs opened fire on Palestinian Interior Minister Nasser Yousef’s house and the Palestinian Cabinet building in the West Bank city of Ramallah, wounding three of Yousef’s bodyguards, one seriously, Palestinian officials said. One of the attackers was also wounded.
Earlier Thursday, Israeli troops targeting Islamic Jihad militants entered the northern West Bank town of Jenin and surrounded two homes, the army and Palestinian security officials said.
Three men in one of the homes surrendered, said Maj. Sharon Esman, a spokesman for the army’s central command. The men in the other house opened fire, sparking a major gunbattle, and the soldiers killed one of the gunmen, Esman said.
A second man came out with an explosives belt - which the army believed was meant for an attack on Israel - and blew himself up, causing no injuries to the soldiers, Esman said.
Islamic Jihad identified the dead as Moutaz Khalil and Ali Abu Hazne from the village of Atil near Tulkarem. The army said their cell was responsible for an Oct. 26 suicide bombing in Hadera that killed five Israelis.
Islamic Jihad is responsible for all six suicide bomb attacks on Israelis since a cease-fire was declared last February. Israel has killed several of its militants and arrested others as part of a crackdown on the group.
The fighting was the worst Israel-Palestinian violence since an Israeli airstrike killed four militants from the small Popular Resistance Committees group in the Gaza Strip.
In a phone call Thursday with US President George W. Bush, acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called on Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to crack down on militant groups, according to a statement from Olmert’s office.
Abbas has resisted, concerned that it would spark a civil war. Instead, he has tried to co-opt them into the political system, persuading Hamas, the largest group, to run in the parliamentary election.
Israel opposes the participation of Hamas, which calls for the destruction of Israel and is responsible for suicide bombings that have killed hundreds of Israelis in recent years.
“The test of Abu Mazen will be immediately after the elections with the presentation of an unequivocal program to fight terror,” Mofaz said, using Abbas’ nickname. “We do not under any circumstances intend to accept a terrorist administration.”
Mofaz spoke to reporters at the start of a meeting with US envoys David Welch and Elliott Abrams, who arrived in the region Wednesday for preparatory talks ahead of the Palestinian elections and to meet Israeli leaders in the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s massive stroke. The envoys are to meet Abbas on Friday.
The United States has pushed for the elections to be held on time, despite fears of a strong Hamas showing. However, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that there was no place in politics for groups that refuse to renounce terror or do not recognize Israel’s right to exist.
In a statement Thursday, Hamas lashed out at Rice, saying that her comments “constitute a shameless example of ... blatant interference” in internal Palestinian politics.