March 12th, 2008

IDF SPOKESPERSON'S ANNOUNCEMENT

Head of the Islamic Jihad Terror Organization in Bethlehem Killed Today

In a joint IDF and Border Police arrest operation this evening in Bethlehem,
Border Police Special Forces identified several Palestinian gunmen in a
vehicle. The force fired at them and identified killing four gunmen. An MP5
and two M16 rifles were discovered on their bodies. The four were wanted
senior wanted terrorists from the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization:

Muhamad Sh'ahade Abed Ta'amari, 45, was the head of the Islamic Jihad in
Bethlehem and was involved in several terrorist attacks in which many
Israeli civilians were wounded and killed, including:
2/11/2000- The car bombing on Shomeron st. in Jerusalem which killed two
civilians.
27/3/2001- The car bombing on Talpiyot st. in Jerusalem in which 5 civilians
were wounded.
5/12/2001- The suicide bombing attack in the Hilton hotel in Jerusalem in
which 6 civilians were wounded.
17/03/2002- The suicide bombing attack in the French Hill neighborhood in
Jerusalem in which 31 civilians were wounded.
01/04/2002- The shooting attack in the Har Homa neighborhood in Jerusalem in
which an IDF soldier was killed.

The three other wanted terrorists, Ahmed Halil Salem Balbul, 48, Imad Hasin
Mahmud Camel, 35, and Isa Marzuk Saleh Zuhara, 36, were a part of the
Islamic Jihad leadership in Bethlehem and were also involved in extensive
terrorist activity from the beginning of the Intifada.

Muhamad Sh'ahada and the Islamic Jihad in Bethlehem were in direct contact
with the Islamic Jihad leadership in Syria from which they received
operational orders.