Stung Hamas vows to retaliate

NABLUS - The militant Islamic group Hamas has vowed to avenge Israel's killing of one of its top bomb-makers, threatening a new spasm of violence in the 21-month-old Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation.

Israeli special forces killed Muhanad al-Taher and one of his deputies in a raid on a house in the West Bank city of Nablus yesterday.

Palestinians described Taher as "the Engineer-4", the head of Hamas' military wing in Nablus and a bomb-maker at the top of Israel's most-wanted list.

"The assassination will increase Hamas' determination to continue Jihad and resistance," said Hamas official Ismail Haniyah. "Hamas will never forget the blood of its martyrs."

Israeli security sources said Taher, 26, and his men were responsible for the deaths of more than 100 Israelis in suicide bombings, including an attack on a Jerusalem city bus that killed 19 people nearly two weeks ago.

The Israeli strike followed the removal of 11 Jewish settler outposts in the West Bank ordered by Defence Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, who vowed to dismantle rogue settlements vulnerable to the Palestinian revolt.

Adding to the pressure on the Palestinians, United States Secretary of State Colin Powell said Washington was no longer talking to Yasser Arafat and had no plans to do so.

US President George W. Bush called last week for Arafat's replacement as leader, saying his Palestinian Authority was tainted by terrorism and corruption.

Arafat, speaking by satellite link to an audience in Switzerland, offered to meet Bush "any time, anywhere" to promote peace, despite the call for his removal.

Arafat, who has announced Palestinian elections for January, said it was impossible to carry out reforms demanded by the international community while Israeli military occupation of Palestinian territory remained "complete and total".

The executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, headed by Arafat, said it rejected any attempts to sideline Arafat or his Palestinian Authority.

Across the West Bank, some Jewish settlers expressed outrage at the dismantling of their outposts.

"It's a sad sight. Every outpost was meant to establish a Jewish foothold ... as opposed to the darkness and terror of the Arabs," settler Benny Katzover told Channel Two television.

Ben-Eliezer said the outposts were too isolated to be protected and that up to 10 more would come down this month.

- REUTERS

Feature: Middle East

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