Today was a day of feverish Israeli military anti-terror activity, and most of the missions were carried out successfully. In the latest incident late this afternoon, four wanted Fatah terrorists were arrested in the kasbah [market] of Shechem, including one whom Israel has long pursued. The other missions included the apparent liquidation of number-one wanted terrorist Muhammed Def; the killing of a long-time wanted terrorist, at the cost of the death of an IDF officer; and the prevention of several major attacks.
Now for the details:
Around 2 PM this afternoon, intelligence information led the Israeli Defense Forces to dispatch three combat helicopters to the Sheikh Redwan neighborhood of Gaza. They fired three missiles at a car in which arch-terrorist Muhammed Def was assumed to be riding, scoring direct hits. At least two of the passengers - a Hamas terrorist and someone else - were killed, and possibly a third was as well. Some 25 people were wounded by the shock waves. Hamas terrorist officials deny that Def was killed, saying he was not in the car, while Israeli security sources say that it is "99% certain that Muhammed Def was killed."
If the strike was in fact successful, it will mark a strong blow to the morale and the terrorism-planning capabilities of Hamas. Def, 36, was responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis, mainly during the terrorism wave of February-March 1996, and also planned the abduction and killing of the soldier Nachshon Wachsman in October 1994, and the murder of five yeshiva students in Atzmonah in March of this year. When Hamas leader Salah Shehadeh was killed by Israel last month, Def took over - and it is precisely the consecutive nature of these two attacks against Hamas leaders that has the terrorist organization worried. Analysts say that in the long run, more terrorist leaders can be found to head Hamas' murderous activities - but that the organization's short-range terrorist plans, as well as its morale, have been badly hit.
Now for the details:
Around 2 PM this afternoon, intelligence information led the Israeli Defense Forces to dispatch three combat helicopters to the Sheikh Redwan neighborhood of Gaza. They fired three missiles at a car in which arch-terrorist Muhammed Def was assumed to be riding, scoring direct hits. At least two of the passengers - a Hamas terrorist and someone else - were killed, and possibly a third was as well. Some 25 people were wounded by the shock waves. Hamas terrorist officials deny that Def was killed, saying he was not in the car, while Israeli security sources say that it is "99% certain that Muhammed Def was killed."
If the strike was in fact successful, it will mark a strong blow to the morale and the terrorism-planning capabilities of Hamas. Def, 36, was responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis, mainly during the terrorism wave of February-March 1996, and also planned the abduction and killing of the soldier Nachshon Wachsman in October 1994, and the murder of five yeshiva students in Atzmonah in March of this year. When Hamas leader Salah Shehadeh was killed by Israel last month, Def took over - and it is precisely the consecutive nature of these two attacks against Hamas leaders that has the terrorist organization worried. Analysts say that in the long run, more terrorist leaders can be found to head Hamas' murderous activities - but that the organization's short-range terrorist plans, as well as its morale, have been badly hit.