Communicated by the Office of the Prime Minister, February 1, 1998
Within days of U.S. President Bill Clinton’s December 14, 1998 visit to
Gaza, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat began releasing dozens
of Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists from prison, including those who have
killed Israelis and Americans.
Following is a list of 21 prominent terrorists released by Arafat after
Clinton’s visit to Gaza:
- Ziad Abu al-Ghal – head of the Islamic Jihad’s military wing in Gaza, he
was responsible for numerous terrorist attacks. He appears on the joint
Israeli-Palestinian list of wanted fugitives to be detained. At the end of
December 1998, he was released on “holiday leave” for several days and has
not returned to prison. - Mehdi Inbatawi – senior Islamic Jihad terrorist from Ramallah. One of
the organization’s top figures in Judea and Samaria. Detained by the
Palestinian Authority in November 1998. Set free in mid-January for Id
al-Fitr (a Muslim holiday). - Muhammad Abu al-Ghal – Islamic Jihad terrorist and participant in terror
activity who was detained by the Preventive Security Service at the end of
October, 1998. He appears on the joint Israeli-Palestinian list of wanted
fugitives to be detained. He was released in mid-December 1998. - Arafat Kuwasmeh – senior Hamas terrorist from the Hebron area and
participant in terror activity, released by Jibril Rajoub’s Preventive
Security Service on December 18, 1998. Assistant to Hassan Salameh,
mastermind of suicide bombings in Israel in February-March 1996 (which
killed 60 people) including the February 25, 1996 attack on bus #18 which
killed 3 Americans: Ira Weinstein, Matthew Eisenfeld and Sara Duker. He
appears on the joint Israeli-Palestinian list of wanted fugitives to be
detained. - Mahmoud al-Batash – Hamas terrorist detained by the Palestinian General
Intelligence Service in October 1998 for serving as liaison between Hamas
leadership abroad and terrorists in the territories. Appears to have been
released recently. - Yusuf Abu Heen – senior Hamas terrorist and participant in terror
activity who maintained contact with Hamas leadership abroad and was
involved in several bomb attacks. Set free recently. - Abdallah Shami – one of Islamic Jihad’s most prominent figures in Gaza.
Shami was detained by the PA on the eve of President Bill Clinton’s
December 1998 trip to the region after he publicly announced “Clinton
should get a bullet in his head when he arrives here.” Shami has also been
involved in the planning and preparation of attacks against Israel. Set
free in mid-January for Id al-Fitr (a Muslim holiday). - Subhi Kapisha – Hamas terrorist from Hebron and participant in terror
activity who is on the joint Israeli-Palestinian list of fugitives to be
detained. He was arrested by Jibril Rajoub’s Preventive Security Service on
October 4, 1998, but set free on December 20, 1998. - Tariq Ja’abri – terrorist detained by Jirbil Rajoub’s Preventive
Security Service on October 4, 1998 in the wake of the grenade attack in
Hebron. Set free on December 20, 1998. - Hassam Alimani – senior Hamas terrorist and arms dealer, freed by the
PA’s Military Intelligence on December 19, 1998. A member of the Awadallah
brothers’ terror unit (prior to their deaths in September 1998) which
masterminded the July 30, 1997 bombing in Jerusalem that killed 15 people,
including Leah Stern, an American-Israeli formerly of New Jersey. - Muhammad Jarar – Islamic Jihad terrorist from Jenin. Detained by Jibril
Rajoub’s Preventive Security Service on November 7, 1998. Set free on
December 20, 1998. - Majd Abu Khadija – Hamas terrorist detained by the Palestinian General
Intelligence Service as part of the Wye-mandated security work plan for the
month of November 1998. Recently set free. - Jihad Suwiti – senior Hamas terrorist who served as a deputy to Hassan
Salameh, the mastermind of the wave of suicide bombings in Israel in
February-March 1996 (which killed 60 people) including the February 25,
1996 attack on bus #18 in Jerusalem which killed 3 Americans: Matthew
Eisenfeld and Sara Duker (students at New York’s Jewish Theological
Seminary) and Ira Weinstein. He is on the joint Israeli-Palestinian list of
wanted fugitives to be detained. - Mahmoud Kashef – Hamas terrorist and participant in terror activity who
was detained by the Palestinian General Intelligence Service after the
attack in Gush Katif. Set free in mid-December 1998. - Abd al-Hakim Mana’amah – one of Sheikh Yassin’s escorts. Detained by
the Preventive Security Service after the car bomb attack in Gush Katif.
Set free on December 31, 1998. - Khaled Gharab – Hamas terrorist involved in the preparation of attacks.
He was detained by the Preventive Security Service and set free around
December 19, 1998. - Talal al-Baz – senior Hamas terrorist from Kalkilya, headed the
organization’s military wing in the city. He assisted the Awadallah
brothers’ terror unit (prior to their deaths in September 1998) which
masterminded the July 30, 1997 bombing in Jerusalem that killed 15 people,
including Leah Stern, an American-Israeli formerly of New Jersey. - Ziad Basisi – Islamic Jihad terrorist from Tulkarem who was among the
group’s leaders at A-Najah University in Shechem (Nablus). He was involved
with the Dakah brothers (see below). Detained by the Palestinian Authority
in October 1998. - Assad Dakah – senior Islamic Jihad terrorist from Tulkarem who
maintained contact with other members of the group throughout the
territories. Belonged to a terror unit that was planning to carry out
attacks. Detained by the Palestinian Authority in October 1998. - Muhammad Dakah – Islamic Jihad terrorist from Tulkarem, brother of
Assad Dakah. Detained in October 1998 for planning to carrying out attacks. - Bashir Daher-Yaseed – Hamas terrorist and student at A-Najah University
in Shechem (Nablus), assisted wanted fugitive Mahmoud Abu Hanoud,
ringleader of the terrorists who set off bombs in Jerusalem on July 30,
1997 (which killed 15 people, including Leah Stern, an American-Israeli
formerly of New Jersey) and on September 4, 1997 (which killed 5 people,
including 14-year old Yael Botwin, an American-Israeli originally from
California).
