3 April 2002
Information concerning detainees captured in the Palestinian
Preventive Security Service Headquarters in Betunia
(Communicated by the IDF Spokesman)
During the course of the IDF's current "Defensive Shield" operation
in Ramallah and the pursuit of wanted Palestinian suspects, IDF
forces discovered that many suspects were hiding in the Palestinian
Preventive Security Service (PPSS) headquarters in Betunia.
IDF forces surrounded the PPSS headquarters on 30 March 2002. On 2
April 2002, after negotiations held with PPSS operatives in the
building, 184 Palestinian suspects surrendered to IDF soldiers. Of
those s urrendering, 150 were PPSS operatives. The rest were members
of other Palestinian terrorist organizations, including the Hamas,
Islamic Jihad and the Tanzim.
Among those arrested in the PPSS Bitunya compound were wanted
terrorists who took part in numerous recent terror attacks, in which
dozens of Israeli civilians were killed and hundreds more wounded.
These terrorists were also planning to carry out additional attacks.
The Palestinian suspects were given refuge in the PPSS building and
were only apprehended following extended negotiations, interspersed
with exchanges of gunfire.
Following are the names of the Palestinian detainees according to
their terror organization affiliations:
Tanzim:
1. Sherif Muhammed Yousouf Naji, born 1976, is from the Al-Amri
refugee camp. Naji is a senior Tanzim operative belonging to the
terror cell that prepared and participated in several suicide attacks
in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem and the Maccabim check point. Naji took a
major part in organizing attacks, including housing and transporting
suicide bombers before they committed their attacks. He was also
involved in the acquisition and preparation of explosive devices,
including explosive belts for suicide bombers, and was directly
involved in the following terror attacks:
a. 25 February 2002 - Shooting attack in Neveh Ya'akov: One
policewoman was killed and seven civilians were injured in this
attack. Naji planned the attack, including the collection of
intelligence before the shooting and dispatching the terrorists who
carried it out.
b. 5 March 2002 - Shooting attack on Tel Aviv's the Sea-Food
Market Restaurant. In this attack, 3 Israeli civilians were killed
and over 30 injured.
2. Ahmed Mahmed Atzi, born in 1975 and a Ramallah resident, also
works as a local photo-journalist. Atzi is a Tanzim operative,
belonging to a cell responsible for a number of suicide attacks,
shootings and bombings in Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv. Among the attacks
he took part in were the following:
a. 25 February 2002 - Shooting attack in Neveh Ya'akov: One
policewoman was killed and seven civilians were injured in this
attack.
b. 5 March 2002 - Shooting attack on Tel Aviv's the Sea-Food
Market Restaurant. In this attack, 3 Israeli civilians were killed
and over 30 injured.
3. William Sameh Fares Hatib was born in 1976 and resides in Beit
Rima. Hatib, a Tanzim operative, was involved in many shootings in
the Halamish area, recruited and established many terror cells and
was responsible for preparing explosive charges for these the cells.
Some of the attacks in which he or his cells participated include:
a. 18 May 2001 - Shooting at a car near Neve Tzuf. This attack
killed an IDF officer and badly wounded his mother.
b. 6 June 2001 - Shooting near Beit Rima, wounding 3
civilians.
c. 29 May 2001 - Shooting at a car near Sanjil, with no
casualties.
4. Hitham Mutafak Halil Hamadan, born 1979, is a Tanzim operative
and member of a terrorist cell. He was involved in many attacks,
including:
a. 25 August 2001 - Drive-by shooting on the No. 443 highway
near the Dor Energy gas station, killing 3 civilians.
b. 15 September 2001 - Drive-by shooting at an Israeli vehicle
next to the French Hill - Ramot Junction, in which one civilian was
killed and another badly wounded.
c. 3 November 2001 - Drive-by shooting at vehicles in the
tunnels of Hwy. No. 1 in Jerusalem. Since the weapon used jammed
after one shot, no one was injured.
5. Zapher Abd Al Juad Abd Al Rahman Ramawi, born 1976 and a Beit
Rima resident, is a senior Tanzim operative and officer in the
Palestinian General Security Service. He commanded a terrorist cell
responsible for numerous attacks in the Ateret-Neve-Tzuf area,
personally taking part in many of them. He provided terrorists
weaponry and hideouts, and coordinated attacks with other Tanzim and
Force 17 officers involved in the attacks. Ramawi collaborated with
the aforementioned William Hatib in a terrorist cell responsible for
killing an IDF soldier and badly wounding other Israelis.
6. Mahmed Mahmud Said Abu Ta'a, born in 1981 and residing in
Al-Bira, is a Tanzim operative operating as a part of the Tawfik
Tirawi organization. He received military training in Iraq and Jordan
and is responsible for placing several charges on Ramallah area
roads.
7. Ismail Omad Ismail Shakshak, born in 1977 and originally from
Gaza, is a senior Tanzim operative who infiltrated into Judea and
Samaria to prepare terrorist attacks. He is a former member of Jibril
Rajub's PPSS.
Hamas:
1. Ballal Ya'akoub Ahmed Dar Othman/Bargouti, born 1976 and a
resident of Beit Rima, is a member of the Hamas command in Judea.
Othman/Bargouti is responsible for carrying out and planning numerous
recent murderous attacks, working as a bomb engineer for Hamas.
Recently he was "imprisoned" by the PPSS, but given ample freedom to
prepare powerful explosives used in terror attacks in Jerusalem.
Othman/Bargouti also collaborated with the Hamas and Tanzim,
supplying them with explosives and coordinating attacks.
Othman/Bargouti was involved in the following terror attacks:
a. 27 March 2001 - Suicide bombing in Jerusalem's French Hill
intersection, where twelve were injured.
b. 1 June 2001 - Suicide bombing in Tel Aviv's "Dolphinarium,"
which killed 21 and injured 84.
c. 30 July 2001 - Bombing of the "Mashbir Lazarhan" department
store.
d. 9 August 2001 - Suicide bombing in Jerusalem's Sbarro
pizzeria, killing 15 and wounding 107.
2. Ibrahim Mahmoud Roub, born in 1977 and residing in
Bitunia, is a Hamas operative. Alrub served as a leader of a Hamas
cell in Ramallah; ran a factory as a front to employ Hamas operatives
and recruited Hamas operatives, especially suicide terrorists. Alrub
prepared explosive charges, one of which was used by a suicide bomber
attacking Hanevi'im St. in Jerusalem. His terror cell was responsible
for a number of serious terrorist attacks, including the
following:
a. 29 July 2001 - Car bomb that exploded in a Pisgat Ze'ev
parking lot.
b. 4 September 2001 - Suicide attack on Jerusalem's Hanevi'im
Street, injuring 14 civilians.
3. Ahmed Abd Al Karim Ali Abu Taha was born in 1980 and resides in
Ramallah. Abu Taha was involved in preparing explosives for Hamas
terrorists in Ramallah, including the car bomb that exploded in
Giva'at Ze'ev in Jerusalem on 29 July 2001. A member of the Ibrahim
Abu Rub and Ballal Baraguti organizations, he transported the suicide
bomber Ra'ad Baraguti from Ramallah to Jerusalem, where he exploded
on Hanevi'im Street on 4 September 2001 and injured 14 people. It is
interesting to note that his father, Abd Al Karim Ali Mustafa Abu
Taha, works in the Palestinian Legislative Council.
4. Salim Mahmud Salim Haja, born in 1972 and resides in Nablus, is
a senior Hamas operative in Judea and Samaria. Haja was involved
organizing many suicide attacks against Israel. He is responsible for
the Hamas infrastructure in northern Samaria and managed the Nablus
explosives laboratory that prepared the bomb used in the 9 August
2001 Sbarro pizzeria attack. Haja coordinated the operations of the
Samaria and Ramallah infrastructures and the execution of the Sbarro
attack that killed 15 civilians and injured 107.
Haja is responsible for the suicide attack on the bus at Yad Labanim
in Haifa, which killed 15 civilians and injured 35. In addition, he
took a major part in the 1 June 2001 Dolphinarium attack in which 21
Israelis were killed and 84 injured. He was "imprisoned" by the PPSS
on 12 January 2002.
Islamic Jihad:
Mahmud Ahmed Yousef Ba'ad, born in 1978 and a resident of the Jalzon
refugee camp. An extremist Islamic Jihad operative, he is a senior
commander for terrorist activities in Samaria, responsible for
bombings in Israel.
Initial inventory of weaponry seized in the PPSS Headquarters in
Betunia
40 M16 Assault Rifles
5 M16 Carbines
16 MP5
21 Hunting Rifles
3 Machine Guns (50 caliber)
93 Kalachnikov Rifles
2 Gallilon Assault Rifles
2 Automatic Barreta Rifles
3 Scorpion Rifles
58 Pistols
1 Federal
3 Assorted Weapons