Israeli troops assassinated a senior Hamas leader near Nablus.
Forces shot Imad Mohammed Janajra, 31, as he approached his village of Taluza, outside the northern West Bank city of Nablus late Wednesday. The army said Janajra had been involved in planning terrorist attacks. His death follows an initial attempt on his life last week in which soldiers mistakenly shot and killed a Palestinian doctor.
Also Wednesday, Israel released a co-founder of Hamas who had been in Israeli custody since March 2003. Mohammed Taha, 68, was freed at the Erez border crossing into Gaza, witnesses said. Israel has stepped up its assaults on Hamas’ leadership, and it’s not immediately clear why Taha was released, though charges were never filed against him.