Helped by timely and accurate GSS intelligence, an Israeli F-16 jet fired a missile late last night at the latest hideout of top Hamas terrorist Salah Shehada, the man slated to succeed Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as the organization\'s leader. Shehada was killed, as were three other terrorists and several children in the building, and his own wife and three children. Well over 100 Arabs were reported injured in the raid.
Arutz-7\'s Kobi Finkler reports that as head of all Hamas military operations, Shehada was responsible for hundreds of attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers over the past several years. Though the press is referring to him as Hamas leader in Gaza, \"Shehada is really the Hamas military leader throughout the entire Palestinian Authority. He was behind the murder of Israeli soldiers as far back as the late 1980\'s, the Kassam rockets fired at Sderot and environs, the attacks in Atzmona (5 students murdered), the Africa outpost (4 soldiers), the Matza restaurant in Haifa (15 civilians), Sbarros (15), the Dolphinarium (21), and many more. He was headed towards succeeding Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as head of Hamas. All in all, this was an important achievement for the IDF.\"
Prime Minister Sharon said that the operation was a great success, though he expressed regret over the civilian deaths. He noted that Shehada was the most senior member of Hamas\' operational wing, and that he was active not only in Gaza, but also \"reorganized and rebuilt Hamas\' forces in Samaria.\"
Shehada caused not only Jewish deaths, but also those of the Arab children who were hit in the IDF attack last night. So implied President Moshe Katzav today. \"Shehada maliciously chose to locate himself in a crowded residential area,\" Katzav said. \"This is a tragedy and shows how criminal Palestinian terrorists, in order to protect themselves, are using the lives of innocent women and children, intentionally making them into helpless human hostages.\" The President also said that Israel had no choice but to \"attack the person who was directly responsible for the murders of dozens of innocent Israelis.\"
Arutz-7\'s Kobi Finkler reports that as head of all Hamas military operations, Shehada was responsible for hundreds of attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers over the past several years. Though the press is referring to him as Hamas leader in Gaza, \"Shehada is really the Hamas military leader throughout the entire Palestinian Authority. He was behind the murder of Israeli soldiers as far back as the late 1980\'s, the Kassam rockets fired at Sderot and environs, the attacks in Atzmona (5 students murdered), the Africa outpost (4 soldiers), the Matza restaurant in Haifa (15 civilians), Sbarros (15), the Dolphinarium (21), and many more. He was headed towards succeeding Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as head of Hamas. All in all, this was an important achievement for the IDF.\"
Prime Minister Sharon said that the operation was a great success, though he expressed regret over the civilian deaths. He noted that Shehada was the most senior member of Hamas\' operational wing, and that he was active not only in Gaza, but also \"reorganized and rebuilt Hamas\' forces in Samaria.\"
Shehada caused not only Jewish deaths, but also those of the Arab children who were hit in the IDF attack last night. So implied President Moshe Katzav today. \"Shehada maliciously chose to locate himself in a crowded residential area,\" Katzav said. \"This is a tragedy and shows how criminal Palestinian terrorists, in order to protect themselves, are using the lives of innocent women and children, intentionally making them into helpless human hostages.\" The President also said that Israel had no choice but to \"attack the person who was directly responsible for the murders of dozens of innocent Israelis.\"