Israel Denies Involvement in Killing of Hamas BodyguardIsraeli army on Sunday denied involvement in the killing of a bodyguard of Ahmed Yassin, spiritual leader of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, or Hamas.The bodyguard, Mohammed Yassin, died in an explosion in the Gaza Strip Saturday night. Three other Palestinians were injured in the explosion. Hamas officials have accused Israel of the "assassination," saying that the bodyguard was killed by a missile fired by the Israeli army. However, in an interview with Israel's Army Radio Sunday morning, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Ron Kitrey described the explosion as a "work accident," claiming that the bodyguard was "preparing an explosive device, but it blew up prematurely." "That is not our work. They were working on something, only they know what it was. It was likely aimed at us, and it went off," Kitrey said. Since the Israeli-Palestinian violence broke out last September, the Israeli army has assassinated some 20 Palestinian officials. Israel claimed that all those killed had been involved in attacks against Israelis. |
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