GAZA, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- Violence and chaos persisted in Gaza where an Egyptian diplomat was kidnapped, and two Palestinian militants were killed in a clash with Israeli troops.
A spokesman for the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees told United Press International that three gunmen attacked Israeli troops at Erez crossing in north Gaza early Thursday morning and clashed with them for an hour, inflicting casualties among the soldiers.
He said the operation was carried out jointly with Fatah's military wing, al-Aqsa Brigades.
"The operation was in retaliation to the series of assassinations targeting Palestinian resistance leaders, especially from al-Aqsa Brigades and Al-Quds Brigades," Islamic Jihad's military wing, the spokesman said.
The Israeli army said the gunmen fired automatic rifles and tossed hand grenades at the soldiers, drawing retaliatory fire. It said two of the three attackers were killed, but gave no information about possible casualties among the Israelis.
In another incident, unknown gunmen kidnapped Egyptian diplomat Hussam Mossalli outside the embassy building in Gaza city at noon Thursday.
There was no immediate information about the motives of the abduction, the first to target an Arab diplomat in the Palestinian territories where foreigners have frequently been kidnapped in recent months.
Palestinian security forces started an immediate investigation and search for the kidnappers as Hamas strongly denounced the incident, which it charged is aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the Palestinian people.
"Hamas movement rejects and condemns the kidnapping that targeted the Egyptian diplomat, and calls on the kidnappers to release him immediately and present official apology to the Egyptian embassy and our brotherly Egyptian people," said Hamas official and member of the new parliament Musheer Masri.
