The IDF tightened its blockade around Palestinian cities in Samaria on Wednesday prior to a meeting of Israel's diplomatic security cabinet, which approved limited military responses to the recent wave of attacks in which four Israelis have died over the last three days.

Israel sealed off Kalkilya and Jenin overnight, while Nablus and Tulkarm have been under closure since Tuesday. In addition, Ramallah is under a partial closure, with travel into the city permitted only via roadblocks to the north and east. The army said all of its forces were surrounding the cities from Israeli-controlled Area C.

It was decided not to impose closures on Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jericho, since PA head of preventive security Jibril Rajoub has been able to preserve quiet in those cities over the past several weeks, Maariv reported.

IDF kills Fatah gunman as organization warns of more attacks
IDF troops enforcing the closure around Nablus killed a Palestinian gunman today on the outskirts of the city. Palestinian sources identified the man as Hamid Ahmed Ali Abdullah, 42, a senior member of the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, an unofficial armed group in PA Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. Abdullah was killed when IDF commandos spotted a group of armed Palestinian men near the Askar refugee camp and opened fire.

Fatah operatives in Nablus told ynet this morning that more attacks could be expected after Monday's killing of Raed al-Karmi, the head of the Tanzim in Tulkarm. "The trend in the Fatah ranks in Nablus is not to honor the cease-fire," the sources said.

Diplomatic security cabinet approves limited deterrents
The diplomatic security cabinet approved several measures to prevent terror in its unusual midnight meeting. The cabinet accepted Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer's recommendation to refrain from taking steps that could lead to further escalation in violence, but rather adopt measures aimed at decreasing the likelihood of future attacks.

The cabinet approved the decision to impose closures and blockades in various areas of the territories to prevent attackers from leaving Palestinian cities. The measures proposed by the IDF to the cabinet were more limited than previous Israeli responses to attacks in order to prevent further escalation, media sources reported.

"We won't give up on our elementary right to defend our homes, defend our children, and defend our families," Ben-Eliezer told Army Radio before the meeting. "I hope that all those who are leading the escalation will take that into account."

An Israeli Arab Shahada Dadis was killed on Wednesday south of Jenin, likely after being mistaken for a Jew when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle with Israeli license plates. Additional shooting attacks occurred near Baka al-Sharkiya, north of Tulkarm; Beit Furik, east of Nablus; Azoun, near Kalkilya; and in Gush Katif and Rafiah in Gaza. No injuries were reported in any of these incidents.

Mofaz warns of anticipated attacks inside Israel
Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen Shaul Mofaz warned the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that a new wave of terror, both inside the Green Line and in the territories, can be expected following the recent breakdown in an understanding between the PA, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad to halt attacks.

"We have a series of warnings of terror attacks in Israel as well as Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip," Mofaz said.

Mofaz said the militant groups have reneged on the agreement because they fear an impending crackdown from the PA, and have recently received instructions to resume attacks from what he called "external" elements. He also attributed the recent drop in violent incidents to Arafat's poor international standing following the last wave of terror attacks.

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