A member of Palestinian security forces loyal to Hamas takes position during an operation in al-Nussairat refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, on March 22, 2018. Hamas-run police in Gaza killed Thursday two suspects of last week's failed assassination attempt of Palestinian prime minister in the Gaza Strip. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar)
GAZA, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Hamas-run police in Gaza killed Thursday two suspects of last week's failed assassination attempt of Palestinian prime minister in the Gaza Strip.
The interior ministry in Gaza, run by Islamic Hamas movement, said in a statement that the police surrounded three suspects in a house in the central Gaza Strip refugee camp of al-Nussairat and asked them to surrender.
However, the statement said, the suspects opened fire at the police, killing two policemen before the main suspect, named as Anas Abu Khoussa, was shot dead during the shootout.
"The other two suspects were injured, but one of them died later of his wounds," said the statement.
Late on Wednesday, the Hamas interior ministry identified the main suspect, adding that its security services had launched a search operation to nab him.
Last week, a blast hit the convoy of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah during a rare visit to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip.
The explosion occurred shortly after the convoy entered Gaza.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Hamas Movement of being responsible for bombing Hamdallah's convoy.
The incident cast more negative shadows on the already faltering reconciliation process between Hamas and Abbas' Fatah party.
Last October, Hamas and Fatah parties signed an Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation pact in Cairo to heal their decade-long rift.
Hamas has been controlling Gaza since 2007 after ousting the forces loyal to Abbas.
Under the deal, Hamas should fully hand over its power in Gaza to Hamdallah's Ramallah-based consensus government in December.
However, the ongoing differences between the two sides forced a delay in the implementation of the deal until further notice.
