Middle East: Israeli PM Defends Killing Of Three On Saturday

by Benson Agoha

* Palestinian gunmen attend the funeral of three Palestinians killed during an Israeli operation in Jenin on Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has praised Israel’s security services for the Saturday raid in Jenin that resulted in the death of Hamas operative Hamza Abu al-Hija, according to Times of Israel.

The IDF carried out an operation in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin on Saturday, killing three, including Abu el-Hija whose body was carried on a stretcher by Palestinian protesters, for a funeral serice that attracted 10,000.

The three palestinians were killed when IDF soldiers stormed the refugee camp in the early hours of Saturday to arrest 22-year old Hamas operative on Israel's wanted list for his involvement in shootings and bombing attacks against Israelis.

But the attack is being seen as set back to Palestinian-Israeli peace talks, with several of the paletinian protestors calling for an end to the talks.

Body of Hamas terror suspect Hamza Abu el-Hija, killed in a raid by Israeli troops on Saturday, during his funeral procession, in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin, Saturday, March 22, 2014.

However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly praised the operation during a cabinet meeting on Sunday saying “Our policy is to do harm to those who harm or plan to harm us.”

“Over the weekend, our forces struck at a terrorist who arranged attacks on Israelis and planned attacks on innocent citizens,” the PM said, adding “I want to praise the elite police units, the IDF, including the Haredi Nahal, and the Shin Bet for this important action to remove a man who endangered Israel’s citizens.”

Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon also praised the operation, saying it was “an important preventative (operation) which foiled a planned terrorist attack that was meant to be carried out against Israeli targets, and thus saved lives.”

But a joint statement by three main Palestinian militant groups — Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah’s military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades has warned of retribution against Israel and against the Palestinian Authority leadership for allegedly cooperating with Israel, ToI said.

* Follow me on Twitter(follow): @bensonagoha and @woolwichonline.

* 1st Photo credit: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/ToI

* 2nd Photo Credit: AP Photo/Mohammed Ballas/ToI