Israeli press says Hamas killing justified

Commentators in some Israeli dailies see the killing of leading Hamas official Abdullah Qawasmeh as both predictable and justified. The visit to the region of US Secretary of State Colin Powell also attracts comment.

"Killed Hamas man 'father of all ticking bombs'," says a front-page headline in the English-language Jerusalem Post.

"Although not a suicide bomber himself, Abdullah Qawasmeh was leader of a Hamas cell that has carried out many terror attacks and killed dozens of Israelis," the Post adds.

In Israel they understood the 'green light' and yesterday the IDF killed Abdullah Qawasmeh Ha'aretz commentator

Writing in Ha'aretz, Aluf Benn links the killing of Qawasmeh to an alleged agreement reached between US and Israeli officials at talks in Washington last week.

"The two sides reached an understanding on the security rules of the game in the sensitive interim period between the Israeli military withdrawal and the passing of security responsibility to the Palestinians," he writes.

"The Americans made clear that in the case of 'ticking bombs', they have to be liquidated quickly.

"Powell reiterated this publicly in Jerusalem. In Israel they understood the 'green light' and yesterday the IDF killed Abdullah Qawasmeh, head of the Hamas wanted list in Hebron."

'New impetus needed'

An editorial in Ha'aretz accuses the Palestinians of being largely responsible for what it says is the "freeze in the diplomatic process" which began in Aqaba two weeks ago.

"The visit of Powell to Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Friday has still not shaken up the diplomatic process... If it does not gain renewed impetus, both sides may withdraw to their previous positions, ready for yet another round of violence," the paper warns.

Writing in the top circulation Yediot Aharonot, Alex Fishman also warns that "Israel's patience is almost exhausted".

"The liquidation of Qawasmeh in Hebron yesterday is legitimate treatment for a 'ticking bomb'.

"Moreover, this was a direct message to the Palestinian Authority leaders: Israel doesn't intend to sit and wait until someone in the PA decides to stop making excuses and starts to take responsibility for security in the PA areas."

'Clear message'

An editorial in Yediot concludes that "Bush is keeping his promises for the moment".

When the world arrives in the Middle East to open a window of opportunities for its inhabitants, it expects the Palestinians and the Israelis not to blow glass in its face Yediot Aharonot

"The secretary of state visits the region again, Condoleezza Rice is on the way, and Kofi Annan and the heads of the Quartet are meeting for the special economic conference in Amman.

"The message is clear: when the world arrives in the Middle East to open a window of opportunities for its inhabitants, it expects the Palestinians and the Israelis not to blow glass in its face."

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.