Jericho (AsiaNews) The siege of the Jericho prison by Israeli troops ended this evening. After several attempts, they were able to capture Ahmed Saadat, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), who Israel accuses of killing in 2001 then Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi .
From early this morning, Israeli soldiers and armoured bulldozers destroyed sections of the prison and evacuated 180 prisoners in an attempt to capture the jailed leader.
Saadat hid away with tens of members of his group inside the prison. Via phone to the al-Jazeera TV network he announced that he would not surrender.
Just before the Israeli assault US and British staff monitoring the prisoners fled the prison. Hundreds of Palestinians on the West Bank and in Gaza later protested against Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom.
Demonstrators set ablaze the British Council and buildings used by the EU.
Gunmen kidnapped a Red Cross official from his office. By the day's end, two French nationals, a Korean, and US teacher were abducted. The US teacher was eventually rescued by Palestinian security forces. Two Australian teachers were held for two hours before being released.
An Israeli spokesman said the decision was taken because of reports that Saadat could be releaseda possibility raised by Hamas and by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a week ago.
The Palestinian President's Office condemned the Israeli attack.
Hamas warned Israel against harming the prisoners and accused Olmert of "trying to use Palestinian blood to win the Israeli election" to beat his hard-line opponent Benjamin Netanyahu.
The PFLP has Marxist roots and opposes peace talks with Israel. The group, which was at the forefront of plane hijackings in the 1960s and 1970s, is part of Abbas's umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation.
