Middle East React to bin Laden's death

(States Twitter)-News of the death of Osama bin Laden sparked late-night celebrations in the U.S. but the response in the Arab world has been more cautious and subdued.

Israel, which has described the fight against terrorism as a joint responsibility of the world's democracies, responded euphorically. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Israel "shares the joy of the American people" and called the operation a "resounding victory for justice, freedom, and the values shared by all democratic countries fighting should to shoulder against terror.

In Yemen, a member of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula described bin Laden's death as a "catastrophe," reports Agence-France Presse.In Yemen, a member of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula described bin Laden's death as a "catastrophe," reports Agence-France Presse.

Meanwhile, the top Hamas official in the Gaza Strip condemned the killing of Bin Laden, according to Reuters. "We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood," said Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas administration in Gaza.

n the Middle East no leaders have made any public comments on the death says CNN's Rima Maktabi in Abu Dhabi. "It was top headline news on all Arab media since early this morning, the words have to be chosen really well by Arab governments," Maktabi said.

On the other hand, she said, the region's leaders are aware that some sections of society regard him as a hero and a wary of provoking retaliatory attacks by being seen to celebrate his death.

Within the Palestinian territories itself you're not going to see strong gestures of anger or sadness among the broader population certainly. The territories are a very different place than they were 10 years ago

The finger of suspicion is now pointing squarely at the Pakistani military and intelligence for sheltering and protecting Osama bin Laden before US forces hunted him down and put a bullet in his head in the wee hours of Sunday. The coordinates of the action and sequence of events indicate that the al-Qaida fugitive may have been killed in an ISI safehouse.