Israel kills Hamas militant in Hebron

Israeli security forces killed a Hamas militant near the West Bank town of Hebron early Monday, an Israel Defense Forces spokesman said.

Ali Ismail Ahmed Sawiti was killed after Israeli forces cornered him in a building in the town of Beit Awwa, the Israeli military said.

“A force surrounded the building in which Sawiti was hiding and called on him to surrender. Sawiti refused and opened fire at the forces,” the Israeli military said. “The terrorist continued to fire at the force, and was ultimately killed.”

Hamas said in a statement that the “will of the resistance will live on despite all the crimes of the occupation.”

“This latest escalation demonstrates the willingness of the enemy in the liquidation of Palestinian resistance,” the Hamas statement said.

Sawiti was a member of a Hamas militant squad, according to Israeli military, and was involved in at least six attacks across the West Bank between 1999- 2004. Border Policeman Yaniv Mashiach was killed in one of the attacks. Two other border policemen also were injured.CNN