Hamas Members Who Planned Attacks are serving in the Palestinian Security Forces

Hamas Members Who Planned Attacks are serving in the Palestinian Security Forces

Communicated by the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel, July 5, 1998

A recently compiled intelligence report submitted to the government lists
21 prominent Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists as currently serving in
the Palestinian security forces.

Six of the terrorists played central roles in the suicide bombings in
Jerusalem, Ashkelon, and Tel Aviv during February-March 1996, in which
some 60 people were killed. Another three of the terrorists appearing on
the list served in the past as aides to the wanted terrorist Mohammed Dief.

The list also includes four terrorists convicted by the Palestinian Authority
(PA) and sentenced to terms of two to 12 years in jail. Instead of serving
their sentences, the four were enlisted by the Palestinian security forces.

Israel has already submitted extradition requests to the PA for five of the
men on the list. However, the PA refuses to extradite them, just as it turned
down 31 other extradition requests.

The six terrorists involved in planning suicide attacks who are now serving
in the Palestinian security forces are:

• Adnan al-Gol – senior operations officer in the Hamas, who underwent
  military training in Syria and Jordan. He prepared the Dizengoff Center
  bomb, escaped custody in June 1996, surrendered himself to the PA and
  joined the Palestinian security forces in December 1997. In March 1998 he
  was detained on suspected links to a grenade factory but returned to serve
  in the PA forces.
• Kamal Khalifa – helped plan attacks in Jerusalem and Ashkelon, and was
  later drafted into the Preventive Security Service.
• Yasser Yusef Mustafa Khasin – who took part in the attacks in Jerusalem and
  Ashkelon, today serves in the “Special Office,” a small bureau without
  defined areas of responsibility which is subordinate to the PA’s Preventive
  Security Service.
• Bassam Issa – among other things, he trained the unit from eastern
  Jerusalem that helped Hassan Salameh carry out the February-March 1996 attacks. He
  was drafted to serve in the Preventive Security Service.
• Mahmad Sanwar – involved in preparing suicide attacks at the beginning of
  1996, after which he was drafted into the Preventive Security Service.
• Sufian Abu Jadian – took part in the murder of Ilan Sudry and was
  enlisted by the PA’s Military Intelligence.

  Abd al-Fatah Sitri, Salaam Abu Maarouf and Abd al-Khader Amar served
  as deputies of Muhammad Dief and were drafted to serve in the Preventive
  Security Service. Yusuf Malhi and Osama Abu Taha, involved in lethal attacks
  against Israelis and both sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Palestinian
  Authority, were released and now serve in the “Special Office”.

  The five terrorists whose extradition has been requested by Israel are:
  Atef Hamadan, Yusuf Malhi, Raid Bashiti (who took part in the murder of two
  Israeli workmen at a construction site in Ramle), Bassam Issa and Imad Abbas.