raid in the West Bank city of Hebron that was likely to lead to new revenge attacks from extremists.
Officials said Abdullah Qawasmeh, who Israeli linked to a series of suicide bombings carried out by Hamas, which has vowed to destroy Israel itself.
Up to 70 people have been killed on both sides since the Roadmap to Peace was launched at a June 4 summit, as part of the United States’ most ambitious peace initiative since Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza rose up for independence in September 2000.
Militant factions oppose the plan’s call for an end to violence and reciprocal-confidence building steps leading to a Palestinian state in the two territories by 2005.
"ENEMY OF PEACE"
The Israeli attack against Hamas came a day after United States Secretary of State Colin Powell described the militant group as "an enemy of peace" in his toughest remarks so far.
Hamas official Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, who was wounded in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza last week, dismissed Powell earlier as "a real slave to the Zionists, a liar and a hypocrite", the Reuters news agency reported.
It was unclear how it would effect the talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials who reported to have made progress toward a deal that would give Palestinians control of security in the Gaza Strip.
CHECKPOINTS
U.S. and Israeli newspapers said that under the deal, Israel’s army would withdraw from most or all of Gaza and the Palestinian Authority would take responsibility for clamping down on Palestinian militants, the Voice of America (VOA) said.
Officials from both sides said the main hold-up is a disagreement over checkpoints Israel wants on Gaza’s main highway because of security concerns.
