By Xinhua
Gaza : Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Wednesday condemned an Israeli army offensive in the West Bankcity of Nablus which had left two Palestinians and one Israeli soldier dead since Tuesday.
A spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas said in a statement that the operation was “an attempt to sabotage U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s visit to the region.”
“The policy of destroying, killing and harming the Palestinians, contradicts U.S., Arab and international efforts to secure the peace process. Israel is responsible for continuing the cycle of violence and bloodshed,” the statement said.
The Israeli army carried out a ground operation in al-Ein refugee camp in the outskirts of Nablus early on Tuesday morning, saying the operation is to search for wanted militants. Palestinian and Israeli sources reported that one Palestinian militant and one Israeli soldier were killed in Tuesday’s operation.
On Wednesday, a second Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the camp.