Jerusalem, Oct 29: A Palestinian militant was gunned down in the Gaza Strip today, just as Israel began easing a strict closure on the Palestinian territories after warnings it was fostering extremism. Israeli troops shot dead the member of the hardline Islamic Jihad movement and arrested a second in an off-limits area on the border with Israel, several hundred metres from the Nahal Oz Kibbutz.
Palestinian security sources identified the slain man as Mohammed Awad, 26, who they said was active in the radical group's military branch, the Al-Quds brigades.
An Israeli military source confirmed the killing.
Meanwhile, Israel began easing the tight closure which has been imposed on the Palestinian territories since a major suicide bombing on October 04 in a restaurant in the northern coastal city of Haifa, army radio reported.
It was implemented following pressure from the top brass, who expressed fears that the ongoing pressure on the Palestinian population would lead to severe unrest in the territories.
Bureau Report