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Israeli forces raid Palestinian village in month-long hunt of attackers

Xinhua, July 27, 2016 Adjust font size:

Israeli security forces killed a Palestinian man and arrested three others who allegedly carried out a deadly attack against Israelis earlier this month, the Israeli army said on Wednesday.

The Israeli army, along with the Shin Bet security agency, raided the Palestinian village of Surif, north of Hebron in the West Bank, overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday.

The raid comes after a "month-long pursuit" by security forces to arrest those responsible for a July 1 shooting attack that resulted in the death of an Israeli settler, Rabbi Michael Miki Mark.

"Following a month-long pursuit, security forces arrested three and killed one terrorist responsible for the terror attack on route 60, killing Rabbi Michael Miki Mark," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement early Wednesday.

The Palestinian who was killed was identified as Mohammad al-Fakih (29). According to the Israeli military, he was killed as clashes ensued between Palestinians and the Israeli security forces.

According to the IDF, the Palestinians were members of a cell which was affiliated with Hamas, the Islamist militant organization.

Rabbi Michael Mark was killed on July 1 in a drive-by shooting on route 60 near Hebron in the West Bank, and his wife was seriously injured. He was a resident of the Jewish settlement of Otniel, in the southern Hebron Hills, where he ran an orthodox seminary.

Israelis and Palestinians have been mired in a wave of violence since October, which claimed the lives of 34 Israelis and 219 Palestinians.

Israeli victims were killed in shooting, stabbing and car-ramming attacks by Palestinians. The Palestinians were killed either in clashes with Israeli security forces during protests or after allegedly carrying attacks against Israelis.

Israeli leaders accuse the Palestinian Authority of inciting to violence amid the wave of unrest.

The Palestinians charge, on their part, the unrest is the result of 49 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip territories, where they wish to establish their own state. Endit