The Hamas terrorist organization warns that it will target Israeli politicians, in response to Israel's successful killing of a major Hamas figure in Gaza two days ago. Ibrahim Makadme, a founding member of Hamas, was killed in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza. Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz confirmed yesterday that Hamas and its leaders are the "main target of Israel's war on terrorism," and said that the IDF would continue to pursue anyone who " dispatches terrorists with the goal of killing innocent Israelis." Makadme was the most senior Hamas member to be killed in the 30-month-old Oslo War, and three of his bodyguards were also killed in the strike.



Three Israeli-Arabs - two of them active members of the Islamic Movement - were convicted today of aiding Hamas in an attempt to murder Israeli soldiers in Gaza in July 2001. The sentence will be handed down at a later date.



IDF soldiers arrested eight Hamas terrorists in Hevron this afternoon, in connection with the recent murderous attacks in Kiryat Arba and Haifa.