BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Attributed to "security sources" - Distributed by the IDF SPokesperson's
Office
25 November 2004

Hamas commanders killed in IDF, GSS and Israeli Police operation in
Hebron.

During an IDF, GSS and Israeli Police operation in Hebron, two
commanders, Murad Qawasme and Omar Himoni, of the militant wing of the
Hamas were killed and the third most senior Hamas operative, Iad Ibben
Shhidam was injured and arrested in an IDF, GSS and Police operation in
Hebron. Ahmad Qawasme, during questioning, described the three senior
Hamas members as operating under his command.

Iyad Abu Shhidam: Born in 1975, resident of Wadi Abu Katilla near
Hebron.

Murad Qawasme: Born in 1979, resident of Wadi Abu Katilla near Hebron
was serving a prison sentence for Hamas militant activity and was
released on 29/01/04 as part of the agreement with Hezbollah in which
prisoners were released by Israel.

Omar Himoni: Born in 1983, resident of Wadi Abu Katilla near Hebron.

During the questioning of Ahmad Qawasme, who was the Head of the Hamas
militant wing in Hebron and was arrested on the 13/10/04, it emerged
that prior to his arrest the three men in question operated under his
command. Ahmad Qawasme who was wanted by Israeli security forces for two
years, was responsible for giving the final authorization for the
recruitment of operatives and suicide bombers for the Hamas militant
wing. The three in question, Iyad, Murad and Omar, acted as secret
operatives, who met other operatives with their faces covered at all
times and were referred to only by alias names. The three began behaving
as wanted operatives after the arrest of Ahmad Qawasme because they were
certain that they would be exposed by Qawasme during his questioning.
Within the framework of the IDF and GSS activity to thwart Ahmad
Qawasme's terrorist network, and during the arrest of the three men in
question - Iyad Abu Shhidam, Omar Himoni and Murad Qawasme, close to 400
Hamas operatives were arrested, including cell members, suicide bombers,
weapons suppliers and collaborators.

The Hamas headquarters in Hebron, headed by Qawasme, operated a number
of independent cells simultaneously. Each cell was instructed to carry
out shooting attacks in the Hebron region, but also to help the Hamas
headquarters to recruit suicide bombers, prepare them for attacks and
film them, and also to purchase arms and materials for the preparation
of explosive devices:

* A cell headed by Faiz Mask - in the center of Hebron.

* A cell headed by - Hazam Abu Nagma - in the center of Hebron.

* Two cells headed by Mashur Rajbi - in the "Israeli zone" of
Hebron.

* Masa'ab Hashlmon cell - in the northern part Hebron.

It should be noted that all the cell members are currently under arrest.

Faiz Mask cell acted under the responsibility of Ahmad Qawasme during
2003:

This cell recruited Yusuf Zyton (now under arrest), prepared and filmed
him before he was to carry out a suicide attack.

The original plan was to carry out a suicide attack on a bus arriving at
Kiryat Arba. This later changed to Beer Sheva or Jerusalem but Yusuf
Zyton changed his mind.

Malek Nasser Aladin, born in 1963, was recruited in order to carry out a
triple suicide attack in which terrorists were to disguise themselves as
soldiers who were to explode at the Beer Sheva train station. The
terrorist attack was not carried out because the two additional suicide
bombers recruited by the Mashur cell changed their minds in the last
minute.

Iyad Abu Shhidam and Omar Himoni: were the chief engineers behind the
attacks, participated in the planning of the terrorist attacks and also
were supposed to provide the explosive belts.

An attempted suicide attack in the "Kapit" coffee house:

Due to the failure of the planning of the Beer Sheva terrorist attack,
the terrorist network began planning an alternative attack in Jerusalem.
For the purpose of this terrorist attack an operative by the name of
Alaa Kapisha, was recruited. He was a member of the cell in which Hazam
Abu Nagma was also a member, and served as a liaison between the Hebron
cell and a cell from the Jerusalem area headed by Ibraim Halabya, a
citizen of Abu-Dis. The terrorist attack was planned by Ahmad Qawasme
and the wanted operatives who provided the explosive belt and a pistol
that were delivered by Faiz Mask to Malek Nasser Aladin.

The wanted operatives instructed Malek on how to use the explosive belt
and how to use the pistol in order to get passed the security guard, and
thereby carry out the attack inside the coffee house.

Alaa Kapish drove Malek Nasser Aladin to Jerusalem with the explosive
belt and the pistol. Malek joined the Jerusalem cell and went to the
"Kapit" coffee house to carry out the terrorist attack. Malek changed
his mind and at the last moment he abandoned the explosive belt and the
pistol and returned to Hebron. That same night, Malek was killed during
an attempt to arrest him by the IDF and the GSS on July 15 2004. Alaa
Kapisha was also arrested along with Ibraim Halabya's Jerusalem cell.

Additional activity of the Faiz Mask cell - the center of Hebron:

Further to the aforementioned information, the Faiz Mask cell committed
a shooting attack on the Hebron bypass road on July 2004.

In addition the cell collected intelligence for further planned
terrorist attacks, acquisition of weapons and recruitment of suicide
bombers.

Yusuf Zyton was arrested with the Faiz Mask cell following Ahmad
Qawasme's interrogation.

Activities of the Mashur Rajbi cell-"The Israeli zone of Hebron":

Mashur Rajbi was recruited and instructed by the wanted terrorists, and
he recruited two cells that carried out numerous attacks in the Hebron
region.

Their meetings took place with their faces masked, while Ahmad Qawasme
participated unmasked in at least one meeting.

One of the cells headed by Ala'a Ragbi carried out five shooting attacks
in the Hebron region, while the second cell carried out two hand-grenade
attacks in Hebron itself.

As mentioned, Mashur's cells also took part in recruiting suicide
terrorists for their network. Two of them were meant to carry out a
suicide attack with Malek Nasser Aladin in Beer Sheva, as laid out
above.

The arm that operated under Mashur's command was thwarted following mass
arrests which included the arrest of Mashur Rajbi, operatives of the two
cells, the suicide attackers who were recruited, as well as the
logistical apparatus, namely, sponsors and weapons.

Masa'av Hashlamun's cell-the Northern Hebron cell:

Masa'av Hashalmun, head of the cell, had been imprisoned in the Ktzioth
prison compound together with Mahmud Qawasme, brother of the wanted
terrorist Murad Qawasme. Soon after their release as part of a prisoner
release deal, the two created a Hamas cell along with other operatives.

Masa'av used Mahmud Qawasme to transfer information about the cell
operatives to Murad Qawasme, and since then routinely communicated with
the wanted terrorists to plan the cell's operations, sponsorship and
acquisition of weapons.

The cell was trained to carry out shooting attacks, and indeed carried
one out on August 23rd, 2004, on the trans-Judea road next to Telem, in
which a child was lightly wounded.

Double-suicide attack in Beer Sheva :

At the beginning of August 2004, Masa'av recruited Nasim Ga'abri,
following which he recruited Ahmad Qawasme and Badia' Rajbi. Masa'av
later met with Ahmad, but never with Badia'. Masa'av nevertheless knew
about his recruitment.

Nasim Ja'abri, born in 1982, resident of Harath Ja'abri, Hebron

Ahmad Qawasme, born in 1978, resident of Ein Sara, Hebron

Badia' Rajbi, born in 1981, resident of Jabel Gohar, Hebron - currently
being detained.

Masa'av Hashlamun notified the wanted terrorist in charge of him of the
recruitment (but not the cell operatives). Consequently, Nasim Ja'abri
was sent to gather intelligence ahead of an attack on a bus bound for
Kiryat Arba, but on his return he realized the difficulty involved in
entering Kiryat Arba and that the attack would not succeed in hitting
enough people there.

Ahmed went to work several times with his brother in Be'er Sheva, and
this allowed him to study the area and select an appropriate target.

Aug. 27- Lacking a sufficient number of suicide belts, the suspect in
contact with Mas'ab decided that only two of the three members of the
terrorist cell- Ahmed, Nassim, and Badi'- would perpetrate the attack.

Around Aug. 29- Ayad Abu Shidam and Omar Himuni finished preparing the
suicide belts and told Qawasme about their intentions to perpetrate a
bombing attack.

Aug. 30 - Mas'ab received the suicide belts and weapons that the
suspects were to be filmed with. Next, Mas'ab told Mahmoud Qawashmeh,
Basel Himouni, and Muhammad Qawasme, the three members of his cell,
about the suicide bombers that he had recruited, and sent them to take
control of an apartment in Hebron known to be a brothel. The apartment
was to be used to film and conceal the suicide bombers. The three cell
members carried out Mas'ab's orders, and filmed the suicide bombers
laden with Hamas paraphernalia and weapons, reading wills they had
prepared ahead of time. Ahmed and Nasim spent the night in the
apartment.

Aug. 31-

0600 H: Mas'ab met the wanted operatives and returned to them the
suicide belts and weapons that were used for the filming. He then left
to collect Ahmad Qawasme and Nasim Ja'abri.

0700 H: Mas'ab met with Nasim and Ahmed. Nasim gave Mas'ab a note with
the name of Badi' Rajbi, so that the suspects could recruit Badi' for
another suicide bombing, after the completion of the bombing that had
been arranged.

Next, Ahmad and Nasim met the wanted operatives for the first time. He
instructed the suicide bombers on how to detonate the belts, and
prepared them for the attack.

The suspects also managed to camouflage the belts using plaster picture
frames, so that they would not be discovered during the trip to Beer
Sheva. The suicide bombers were then dispatched with 300 NIS in travel
expenses. Ahmad and Nasim reached Beer Sheva on a bus transporting
illegal residents.

14:30 - Two buses exploded in Beer Sheva, killing 16 Israelis and
injuring 90 more.

In all, the terrorist infrastructure was performing several tasks at
once- carrying out shooting and grenade attacks, as well as planning
complex suicide attacks. The cell used a great deal of weapons and
tirelessly recruited suicide bombers, until they reached a point where
there were more suicide bombers than suicide belts.

The cell preferred to carry out attacks in Jerusalem and Be'er Sheba
than to do so in the Hebron area, since it was difficult to penetrate
the Jewish community of Hebron, and because the population there was
significantly smaller. Nevertheless, the cell continued to carry out
shooting and grenade attacks to maintain a steady rhythm of terror
attacks in the area. The cell concentrated their efforts on attacking
cities in the heart of Israel. Be'er Sheva was targeted because it was
relatively easy for them to penetrate and gather intelligence on
potential targets.

The bombing attack took place one month after the suicide bombers were
recruited.