Israeli soldier dies in 'revenge' attack

Settlements in the Gaza Strip are often targeted

An Israeli soldier has been killed in an explosion near a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip.

Another soldier was injured in the attack near the settlement of Netzarim, the army said.

The armed wing of the militant group Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for the blast.

They said it was in revenge for the killing of a senior member of the group in a pre-dawn raid in the West Bank town of Jenin.

Iyad Sawalha, 32, was suspected of masterminding at least two bomb attacks on Israeli buses.

His killing was condemned by the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who called it the latest in a series of Israeli crimes.

He urged the United Nations to enforce its decisions in the Arab-Israeli conflict in the same way it was seeking to with Iraq.

Shoot-out

Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip were on a regular patrol when their armoured vehicle was hit by an explosive device.

The BBC's James Rogers says the blast was audible in Gaza City, several kilometres away.

Members of Islamic Jihad had threatened to avenge the death of Sawalha, who was thought to be the head of the group's military wing in Jenin.

Israeli soldiers surrounded the house where he was hiding with his wife at about 0400 (0200 GMT).

Medical staff examine the body of Iyad Sawalha

They ordered him to come out, but he refused - instead throwing out a grenade that wounded two soldiers, an Israeli defence spokesman said.

In the ensuing gun battle, which lasted an hour, Sawalha was shot dead, the Israeli authorities said. Palestinian hospital officials confirmed his death.

Witnesses in Jenin said scores of Israeli troops had been involved in the operation.

The BBC's Elizabeth Blunt in Jerusalem says Israel had accused Mr Sawalha of being responsible for two serious bus bombings in recent months, which killed more than 30 people.

Our correspondent says Israeli military sources are now expressing satisfaction at having got the man who was firmly at the top of their wanted list.

Sensitive timing

Sawalha's death comes just ahead of a visit by a United States envoy this week aimed at stopping bloodshed in the region.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield is hoping to renew efforts to introduce a "roadmap" to peace, which involves Palestinian reforms and an Israeli withdrawal from towns in the West Bank.

The killing also coincided with a meeting in Cairo on Saturday for officials from Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's party Fatah and the militant Islamic group Hamas to discuss easing tension and halting suicide attacks inside Israel.