Palestinian Surrenders; American Released

Palestinian Surrenders; American Released

Published: 3/14/06, 1:06 PM EDT
JERICHO, West Bank (AP) - Six Palestinian militants holed up inside a Palestinian prison surrendered to Israeli forces Tuesday, almost 10 hours after soldiers using helicopters, tanks and bulldozers raided the compound to seize militants who killed an Israeli Cabinet minister.

The militants who surrendered included Ahmed Saadat, leader of a radical PLO faction and mastermind of the 2001 assassination of the minister, the Israeli military said.

Israel's West Bank commander, Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh, said 15 other militants also were arrested in the raid.

As the militants surrendered, some 15,000 Palestinians led by dozens of gunmen firing in the air marched in Gaza City to protest the raid. The demonstrators, chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans, marched toward the Palestinian parliament building.

Palestinian security forces rounded up foreigners for their protection throughout the day after Palestinian gunmen kidnapped nine foreigners to protest the raid.

A police-escorted convoy of vans carrying 15 foreigners sped through Gaza City on Tuesday, heading to the Gaza-Israel border crossing.

Some journalists were in the vans, along with an American couple and their three children. Three Palestinian police vehicles led the way.

Earlier, an American English professor, Douglas Johnson, was seized while buying something from a street vendor, American University officials said. He was freed hours later.

credit BellSouth