Hamas terrorist killed in Israeli arrest bid

A Hamas terrorist responsible for the death of an Israeli policeman was killed during an arrest operation near Hebron.

Ali Ismail Ahmed Sawiti, 42, was killed early Monday morning after Israel security houses shot at and partially bulldozed the house in which he was hiding in the village of Beit Awwa, south of Hebron, in an attempt to convince him to surrender, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Sawiti, who had fired at the security forces surrounding his relatives’ home and refused to surrender, was found dead amid some of the house’s rubble, according to reports.

Sawiti, a member of an armed Hamas cell, executed six terrorist attacks—five shooting attacks and one explosives device attack—between 1999 and 2004, the IDF said.

Border Policeman Yaniv Mashiah was killed in one of the shooting attacks, on April 25, 2004. Two additional border policemen were injured in the attack. The IDF on Monday notified the Mashiah family of the terrorist’s death.

Sawiti escaped an attempted arrest in February 2007. He has been wanted by Israel since 2002.

The entire home was demolished following the incident, according to reports.