Israel Foreign Ministry, Information Division
BACKGROUND ON TERRORIST RESPONSIBLE FOR JERUSALEM BOMBING
(Communicated by Senior Defence Sources)
Jerusalem, August 10, 2001
The active involvement of the Palestinian Authority (the protection of
those carrying out terrorist attacks) and its passive involvement (doing
nothing to stop the terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks) must be
emphasized. It should also be noted that Israel's preventive operations
are necessary under these circumstances in which "ticking bombs", whose
identity is known, are on their way to carrying out terrorist attacks and
- as the Palestinian Authority chooses not to act - only a preventive
operation can prevent massive casualties.
- The headquarters of the Hamas organization in Samaria, located in
Nablus, is responsible for today's (9 August) attack in Jerusalem. That
same headquarters is responsible for the attacks on the Dolphinarium
nightclub (1 June) and the "HaSharon" shopping mall in Netanya (18 May),
as well as a long list of additional lethal attacks.
- This cell has operated for a long time, undisturbed, in areas under the
control of the Palestinian Authority (PA). It has prepared bombs,
recruited and trained suicide bombers and dispatched them to locations in
Israel.
- This past month, as a result of Israel's attempt to implement the Tenet
document, detailed information - which included the names of senior
members of this cell - was given to the Palestinian security forces. This
information was accompanied by the request that specific terrorist attacks
be prevented, as Israel's security forces had information about the plans
for these attacks.
- On July 13, the Palestinian security forces were asked to arrest Abas
Sayid from Tulkarem, who was in the process of dispatching a terrorist
attack against Israel. The Palestinian Authority did nothing.
On July 29, the Palestinian security forces were asked to arrest Iman
Halaveh from Nablus, in order to prevent another planned terrorist attack.
Yet again the PA did nothing.
Members of this cell who had been dispatched by these two terrorists
carried out two attacks in Jerusalem: a car bomb which exploded in the
underground parking garage of an eight-story residential building in the
Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood and an explosive devise placed in a supermarket
(29 July). By some miracle, neither attack caused serious casualties.
- On July 31, Israeli security forces were left with no choice but to
attack Jamal Mansour and Jamal Damoni, two of the leaders of this same
headquarters in Nablus, in order to prevent their plan to send suicide
bombers to attack Israeli targets.
- On August 8, another member of this cell - Nihad Abu Kishak - was
apprehended by Israel. Amongst his belongings was the will of an
additional suicide bomber - Basset Uda from Tulkarem.
Kishak admitted his activities, conducted jointly with Amar Hadiri (also
from Tulkarem) aimed at sending suicide bombers into the Sharon area. As a
result, the Israeli security forces were compelled to act against Hadiri
so as to prevent his activities. Information about Uda, the designated
suicide bomber was given to the Palestinian security forces. Again,
nothing was done.
- On August 8, an additional suicide bomber was dispatched in a car bomb
driven by Asraf Sayid. The car exploded close to Moshav Baka'ot, causing
injury to an Israeli soldier.
- At the same time, the cell planned another attack in Jerusalem.
Information about Abdullah Barghouti, who was in Ramallah and was directly
responsible for dispatching the suicide bomber was given on August 9 to
the Palestinian security forces in an attempt to prevent the attack. Yet
again nothing was done, and the result was the terrible terrorist attack
against a pizzeria in the center of Jerusalem.
- The Palestinian security forces' pattern of behavior repeated itself
with regards to the Islamic Jihad's cell responsible for terrorist attacks
against Israel.
- On July 11, The Palestinian security forces were asked to arrest
Mahmoud Norsi from the Jenin refugee camp, in order to prevent a terrorist
attack he had planned. The Palestinian Authority did nothing and the
result was the deadly attack near the Binyamina train station (July 16),
in which two people were killed and eight injured.
- This cell continued its activities and on July 22, attempted to carry
out another terrorist attack in Haifa. A catastrophe was prevented thanks
to Israeli security forces who managed to arrest Morad - Mahmoud Norsi's
brother - who was supposed to blow himself up in the Carmalit subway in
Haifa.
Mahmoud Norsi was also responsible for a terrorist attack in Beit She'an
(August 2), in which heavy casualties were prevented only by a miracle.
- Mahmoud Norsi and fellow members of his terrorist cell are currently
continuing their activities, undisturbed. They are responsible, at this
very moment, for a planned terrorist attack in Israel to be carried out by
a suicide bomber by the name of Hassin Abu Nassa from Jenin.
- This document presents names, details and even information about
planned attacks that are on their way to be carried out at this very
moment. The Palestinian Authority received this information, and more, on
time. That the PA did nothing can only lead to the conclusion that it is
interested in allowing the terrorist attacks to be carried out. As far as
can be ascertained, in a number of cases the terrorists were warned by the
Palestinian Authority that their activities had been exposed and that they
should go into hiding from Israel's security forces.
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