At least one Palestinian was killed and two others seriously wounded in an Israeli predawn raid to the West Bank city of Tulkarm, Palestinian security sources said on Wednesday.

Israeli troops raided Tulkarm after an Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militant from the city blew himself up in the nearby Israeli town of Netanya, killing three Israeli women and wounding at least 90 others.

The sources said Mohammed Shhada, who was killed in the raid, was a member of the Palestinian national security apparatus.

Witnesses said more than 20 Israeli military vehicles stormed Tulkarm and helicopters opened fire.

Israeli army sources told Israel Radio that two soldiers sustained slight wounds in the operation and they were transferred to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva.

"This operation was mounted in order to carry out arrests of Islamic Jihad terrorists behind the Netanya suicide bombing that killed three Israeli civilians," the sources said.

Israel handed over security control of Tulkarm to the Palestinian National Authority under a deal reached at a summit between Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in February.

Source: Xinhua