Israel Hails, Palestinians Condemn Killing
Israel said on Monday it had dealt a major blow to the militant group Hamas by killing a master bomb-maker and promised to keep up such attacks.

Palestinians condemned Sunday's killing of Muhanad al-Taher and one of his lieutenants in the West Bank city of Nablus as state-sponsored assassination. Hamas promised to avenge his death, raising fears of a new surge in Middle East violence.

Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer hailed the killing in a commando raid as an ``impressive achievement,'' saying Taher was ``a murderer, a planner and an engineer'' responsible for the deaths of at least 117 Israelis in suicide bombings.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has sent tanks to reoccupy seven West Bank cities in response to back-to-back suicide bombings, said Israel was acting in self-defense and would ''continue to do that...until there is an end to terror.''

Palestinian Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo told Reuters: ``We condemn the assassinations of two Palestinians in Nablus. This is Sharon's plan to escalate the situation.''

He accused the United States of giving Sharon the green light for such attacks and criticized the international community for staying silent.

Palestinian witnesses said Israeli special forces surrounded the home of a Taher associate in Nablus on Sunday, ordered its occupants to evacuate and opened fire after most had left.

Taher, 26, and one of his deputies were killed and a third militant was wounded, Israeli security sources said.

Israel has killed scores of militants it says were behind attacks on Israelis. Palestinians have branded the killings ''war crimes'' and the practice has been condemned internationally.

Palestinian security sources described Taher as ``the Engineer-4,'' head of Hamas's military wing in Nablus and a master bomb-maker.

Ben-Eliezer said others would rise up to take Taher's place.

``There is no lack of engineers,'' he said. ``In my opinion the whole subject of terror is a bottomless well. We will continue to do what we have to do.''

The military wing of Hamas, an Islamic group sworn to Israel's destruction, said ``more potential martyrs are joining the queue waiting patiently to meet their God.''

``The invasion of our cities, villages and refugee camps will not bring security to the Zionists,'' it said in a statement. ``They must either leave or die on our land.''
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