Hamas has just lost a pretty big fish to the Israeli security forces.
After an eight-year manhunt, Israeli security forces early Tuesday seized the Ramallah-area commander of Hamas’ military wing, Israel’s most wanted man in the West Bank.
Sheikh Ibrahim Hamed, 41, has been wanted since 1998 for terror attacks that claimed the lives of 78 Israeli civilians and soldiers.
[…] Among the attacks Hamed is believed to have helped plan and direct were:
- A car bombing in Zion Square in the heart of Jerusalem five years ago, an attack which killed 11 people.
- A March 2002 suicide bombing at the Moment coffee house adjacent to the Prime Minister’s official residence in the city, in which 12 people were killed.
- A double suicide bombing in September 2003, which killed a total of 17 people at the Hillel cafe in Jerusalem’s German colony, and adjacent to the Tsrifin IDF base.
- A December 2001 double suicide bombing in Jerusalem’s Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall, in which 11 people died.
- A July 2002 bombing at the cafeteria of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem that killed five Americans and four Israelis.
The IDF colonel who led the capture said Hamas would have trouble replacing Hamed.
“What made him special was his creativity in finding very complex ways to attack Israelis,” the colonel told Army Radio.
What’s running in the back of my mind since this happened is whether Hamas will use this as a pretext to end the so-called “truce” that everyone pretends they are abiding by. I think it’s entirely possible they may authorize their people to clandestinely help PIJ or another group set off a suicide bombing in “revenge” for Israel’s arresting this mass-murderer.
And I’m sure that Lair Simon is actually not completely happy with this arrest. If Hamed had gone down fighting, Lair would finally have a Bingo and could send pizza to the IDF.
I don’t know, its not as if they are honouring the ‘truce’ anyway. If they end it then what’s the downside? More of the same?
Well, a capture is like a “free space.” Let Lair send that pizza.
chsw
Not only does it not earn the IDF a pizza, but this scumbag will now be a bargaining chip for release like all other captured terrorist scum, from Barghouti to Yassin.
Good work IDF! However it is unfortunate that these lowlives tend to find another replacement (albeit maybe not as proficient) just like rats breed. I would have loved for the IDF to have killed him (although I think it is funny he walked out in his underwear – no suicide for him!) but in interrogation he will spill his guts which will lead to more arrests.
One corrction – the Hillel Cafe attack was not a double bombing – that day September 9, 2003 there were two bombings in Israel – one near Netanya in the morning and the other Cafe Hillel in the evening.
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