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On Passover Eve, March 27, 2002, at 7:30 PM, hundreds
of guests were preparing to enjoy the traditional Passover “Seder” [i.e.,
family oriented ceremony and festive meal] in the dining hall of the Park
hotel in Netanya. At that point, Abd al-Basset Oudeh, a
Hamas suicide terrorist, arrived disguised as a woman and
detonated himself in the hotel's dining hall. This terror attack left 29
civilians dead and 155 wounded, some of them critically. |
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It was the most devastating suicide bombing attack
carried out by Hamas and other terrorist organizations since the outbreak
of hostilities by the Palestinians in September 2000, with implications
and consequences extending far beyond murder of innocent civilians. The
suicide bombing attack shocked Israeli and global public opinion and triggered
Operation Defensive Shield, in which IDF entered into Palestinian Authority
administered territories and captured major Palestinian cities in the West
Bank (Judea and Samaria). It was not the only time Hamas succeeded in manipulating
the national security and political state of affairs by means
of a large-scale terror attack: the Jerusalem bus bombing perpetrated by
Hamas on August 19, 2003 claimed the lives of 21 civilians, a third of
which were children, and brought an end to a brief ceasefire (the Hudna )
that was not upheld by Hamas (suicide bombing attack in Ariel causing 2
Israelis dead on August 12 – i.e., during the Hudna ). |
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During the period of time that
has passed since the Park hotel suicide bombing attack, the main operatives
involved have been killed or captured. Abbas Bin Muhammad al-Sayyid, leader
of Hamas infrastructure in Tulkarm, is now standing trial. He is responsible,
along with Muhannad Taher, a senior operative for the
Hamas leadership in the northern West Bank (killed in June 2002), for initiating
and coordinating the Park hotel terror attack. |
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This document aims to analyze the modus operandi
of the Park hotel suicide bombing attack as a case study revealing
the terrorist and murderous nature of the Hamas movement and to demonstrate
the involvement of its political leadership in operational-terrorist
activity . The document is based on the charges filed against
Abbas Bin Muhammad al-Sayyid and against other Hamas terrorists involved
in the suicide bombing attack, as well as information gathered on the Park
hotel suicide bombing attack and on Hamas terror activity in general. |
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Charting the Hamas infrastructure involved in the Park hotel
suicide bombing attack |
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What follows is a description of
the Hamas terror infrastructure in Tulkarm involved in planning the Park
hotel suicide bombing attack and its implementation: |
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The local leadership: |
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Abbas Bin Muhammad
al-Sayyid: The
highest-ranking Hamas operative in Tulkarm. Responsible for planning
and coordinating the Park hotel suicide bombing attack. Initiated, organized
and operated additional terror attacks in Israel proper and in the West
Bank that claimed the lives of dozens of Israeli civilians and
injured hundreds. In addition to his terrorist activity, he
was also involved in a variety of political, propaganda and organizational
activities (see below).
Muhannad Taher : The highest-ranking
Hamas operative in Nablus and the northern West Bank. Responsible for coordinating
the suicide bombing attack from Nablus as well as transferring and delivering
the explosive belts (produced by Hamas infrastructure
in Nablus ) to Hamas infrastructure in Tulkarm ,
where they were used for the Park hotel suicide bombing attack. |
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The middle level, involved in dispatching the suicide
terrorist to Netanya: |
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Mu‘ammar Shahrouri : Infrastructure
operative for Hamas in Tulkarm. Arrested in May 2002. In an interrogation
by the Israeli General Security Services, he admitted to serving as the liaison between Abbas
al-Sayyid, coordinator of the suicide bombing attack, and the
two suicide terrorists who were supposed to carry it out (one of them
being Abd al-Basset Oudeh ). Thus, Shahrouri was involved
in transferring funds received from Al-Sayyid, delivering
the explosive belts from Nablus to Tulkarm, photographing suicide
terrorist Abd al-Basset Oudeh and arming him with the explosive
belt.
Muhannad Talal Mansour Shrim : Infrastructure
operative for the Hamas in Tulkarm. Abbas al-Sayyid's right-hand man.
Arrested in May 2002. Was asked by Al-Sayyid to prepare posters
and cameras to record the suicide terrorist before dispatching
him to carry out the suicide bombing attack. Met with the driver who
transported the suicide terrorist, supplied him with a counterfeit ID
card prepared by Hamas infrastructure in Nablus, and instructed him to
purchase an Israeli vehicle in order to transport the suicide terrorist.
He witnessed Abd al-Basset Oudeh's preparation and photographing before
the suicide bombing attack. Sentenced to 29 consecutive lifetime sentences
and 20 consecutive years in prison.
Ali Khudeiri : Infrastructure
operative for Hamas in Tulkarm. Killed in May 2002. Delivered explosive
belts and counterfeit ID cards prepared by the Hamas military infrastructure
in Nablus to members of the Hamas infrastructure in Tulkarm.
Fathi Raja Ahmad Khatib : Resident
of the village of Qafin near Tulkarm. Arrested in May 2002. Admitted,
in an interrogation by the General Security Service, that he had purchased
a vehicle in Israel under Al-Sayyid's guidance and used that vehicle
to transport Oudeh to the Tulkarm area, where the two switched vehicles
and entered Israel. Sentenced to 29 consecutive lifetime sentences and
20 consecutive years in prison. |
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The operational level |
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Nidal Qalaq : Resident
of Nur al-Shams (Tulkarm). Arrested in April 2002. Was supposed to serve
as an additional suicide terrorist in the Park hotel
suicide bombing attack. A day before the operation, he announced he could
not carry it out due to illness. After the Park hotel suicide bombing
attack, he was supposed to carry out another suicide bombing attack instead
of the one he did not take part in.
Abd al-Basset Muhammad Qassem Oudeh : Born in Qalqilya,
1977. Single. Hamas operative. Sent jointly by Hamas infrastructure in Tulkarm and
the infrastructure in Nablus to carry out the suicide
bombing attack. Carried out the suicide bombing attack disguised as a woman.
His operator, Abbas al-Sayyid, who also wrote his will, stated he was going
to carry out the act in the name of Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. A warning stating
Oudeh's intent was dispatched to the Palestinian Security Apparatuses some six
months before the suicide bombing attack; however, the Palestinians
claimed they had failed to locate him. |
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| Chart of Hamas infrastructure
that perpetrated Park hotel suicide bombing attack (March 27, 2002) |
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The political as well as the military-terrorist
roles of Abbas Muhammad Mustafa al-Sayyid,
initiator and coordinator
of the Park hotel suicide bombing attack
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Abbas Muhammad Mustafa al-Sayyid
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Abbas Muhammad Mustafa al-Sayyid, detained
by Israel, is now standing trial for his terrorist activity. Born in Tulkarm,
1966, he studied Computer Engineering at the University
of Yarmuk, Jordan; yet, he is a medical engineer by profession. He was
employed by a governmental Palestinian hospital in Tulkarm in the field
of maintenance. In that capacity, and perhaps by virtue of his official
function as well, he was associated with the Palestinian Authority's Ministry
of Health in Ramallah. |
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During his studies at the university, Al-Sayyid
joined the Hamas movement. The universities, where the movement conducts
intensive activities, serve Hamas as an important pool for recruitment .
After his return to the Palestinian Authority administered territories,
Al-Sayyid became a member of the Hamas leadership in Tulkarm. |
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In the early 1990s, Al-Sayyid was engaged in disturbing
public order in Tulkarm, prompting his arrest by Israel (1993).
He was released about three years later (1996). Following the outbreak
of hostilities in September 2000, Al-Sayyid took part in overt
political-propaganda activity as a Hamas representative in
Tulkarm, acting at the same time as the leader of a covert operational-terrorist
cell that perpetrated mass murder suicide bombing attacks. |
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Following are some examples of his overt
political-propaganda activity, as expressed in Palestinian
mass media: |
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Abbas al-Sayyid , a senior Hamas
activist, took part in a meeting held in Tulkarm on December 15, 2000.
During that meeting he pointed out that the political leadership of Hamas
and the operational apparatus are two completely distinct entities. He
also declared that Hamas had committed itself to avenging the blood of
the Palestinian martyrs at the appropriate time and place. In his speech,
he also addressed the issue of national unity and the joining of Hamas
to the Palestinian national council. He also expressed Hamas' opposition
to the possibility of a secret dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian
officials ( Al-Hayat al-Jadidah, December
16, 2000). Engineer Abbas al-Sayyid, “the Hamas senior
activist in Tulkarm,” commented on the statements made regarding opposition
to Arafat and pointed out that they did not represent the position of Hamas ( Al-Quds, December
16, 2000). |
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On November 2, 2000, the Hamas movement opened
a photograph exhibition in the town of Anabta named “The Al-Aqsa Intifada
Exhibition”. “The representative of the Hamas movement in the
Tulkarm district,” Abbas al-Sayyid, “stressed the importance of propaganda
activity and documentation, specifically through the use of
photographs.” ( Al-Ayyam , Ramallah,
December 2, 2001). |
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On May 22, 2001, the Hamas movement organized a ceremony in
the Tulkarm municipal park commemorating Mahmoud Marmash, who
carried out the terror attack in Netanya on May 18, 2001. It was attended
by a large crowd and by representatives of the district's official and
popular organizations. Abbas al-Sayyid spoke on that event “on
behalf of the Hamas movement in the district.” ( Al-Ayyam, Ramallah,
May 23, 2001) [Note: Mahmoud Marmash was a Hamas terrorist
who perpetrated the suicide bombing attack at the “Ha-Sharon” shopping
center , which was coordinated by Abbas al-Sayyid 1.
Al-Sayyid, who coordinated and supervised mass murder terror attacks in
Netanya throughout his operational-terrorist activity, represented Hamas
in Tulkarm in a public ceremony commemorating a terrorist he himself had
dispatched!].
1 According to the charges filed against
Abbas al-Sayyid, he recruited Mahmoud Marmash with the intention of perpetrating
a suicide bombing attack at the “Ha-Sharon” shopping center that would inflict
heavy civilian casualties. |
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The Islamic faction at the Tulkarm branch of
“al-Quds” open university organized a memorial procession commemorating
Amer Mansouri al-Khadri, killed by the IDF [ Note: the
aforementioned was a Hamas terrorist who took part in a bus shooting
in the settlement of Einav (April 2001) and was involved in coordinating
suicide activity with Al-Sayyid]. Abd al-Aziz Rantisi, a leading Hamas
activist, spoke at the ceremony via telephone, stressing the importance
of choosing the path of Jihad and resistance and making it clear that
the escalation of the Intifada would carry on. Then “Hamas representative
in Tulkarm, Abbas al-Sayyid,” reviewed the accomplishments
of the martyr al-Khadri and made it clear that Hamas was committed to
avenge the blood of all (Palestinian) martyrs ( Al-Hayat
al-Jadidah, September 20, 2001). |
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Alongside his overt activity since
the outbreak of violence in September 2000, Al-Sayyid acted as
the head of a covert operative cell in Tulkarm that perpetrated
murderous terror attacks in Israel proper. Abbas al-Sayyid initiated, organized,
planned and executed these terror attacks, which left dozens of Israeli
civilians dead and hundreds wounded. |
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Abbas al-Sayyid was responsible for
or involved in three devastating terror attacks designed to inflict massive
casualties among civilians : |
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A suicide bombing attack on Herzl Street
in Netanya perpetrated by a suicide terrorist. This terror
attack claimed the lives of 3 people and wounded 56 (March 4, 2001). |
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A suicide bombing attack at the “Ha-Sharon”
shopping center in Netanya. 5 people were killed and 86 were
wounded as a result (May 18, 2001). |
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A suicide bombing attack at the Park
hotel in Netanya. 29 people were killed and 155 were wounded
as a result (March 27, 2002). |
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Besides his operational-terrorist
and political-propaganda 2 activities,
Abbas al-Sayyid conducted a variety of other activities: he funded Hamas
activity in Tulkarm, including procurement of arms and raw
materials for arms production; he enlisted operatives and
supervised an extensive terror infrastructure in Tulkarm; he organized
protest rallies and mourning processions; he provided legal assistance
to Hamas detainees through his aide, Muhannad Shrim: this included payment
of legal fees to lawyers who represented these detainees and monitoring
the detainees' statements.
2 Abbas al-Sayyid's nephew, Tareq Zaydan,
a pharmacologist by profession, delivered him a vial of cyanide to increase
casualties in the Park hotel suicide bombing attack. He claimed, in his defense,
that Abbas was not known as a terror operative. This claim was unsubstantiated,
for Abbas was engaged in covert terror activity. However, at the same time,
he continued playing his political-propaganda role thus being identified as
a political activist. |
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To sum up: Abbas al-Sayyid's extensive activity clearly
demonstrates that there can be no distinction between
the operational-terrorist activity and the political, propaganda,
organizational and financial activity of Hamas senior political activists
or operatives. For Al-Sayyid served as a senior activist
and operative in both the operational field and the civilian-political
infrastructure of the Hamas movement in the West Bank, and the Tulkarm
region in particular. In this respect, he kept close ties with both
political and operational senior cadres within Hamas and even with Hamas
headquarters in Damascus . At the same time, he was involved
in planning terror attacks designed to cause mass murder among civilians.
It should be noted that these patterns of activity, combining both
the political and operational fields, are similar to activities
of senior Hamas activists and operatives in other cities (for
example, Abu al-Hija', leader of Hamas in Jenin, and Abd al-Khaleq
Natsheh, a senior Hamas figure in Ramallah, all of whom responsible
for the deaths of dozens of Israeli civilians). |
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The Park hotel suicide bombing attack in stages |
| Planning a mass-murder suicide bombing
attack (second half of 2001, beginning of 2002) |
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Preparations for the murderous suicide
bombing attack at the Park hotel began halfway through 2001. At
the time, Abbas al-Sayyid started planning a spectacular suicide bombing
attack devised to cause many deaths among Israeli civilians. The
attack was to be perpetrated by two suicide terrorists carrying explosive
belts on their bodies. |
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In July 2001, Abbas al-Sayyid decided
to carry out the intended suicide bombing attack in August. Preparations
for the suicide bombing attack included the following: |
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Abbas al-Sayyid approached medium-echelon
Hamas operatives in Tulkarm (Abbas Khudeiri; Muhannad Shrim; Fawaz Badran)
and initiated them into his plans. |
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Amer Khudeiri (of Tulkarm), a Hamas operative
in Tulkarm, was asked by Al-Sayyid to deliver explosive belts from
Nablus (where the Hamas arms production infrastructure is located). |
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Khudeiri and Shahrouri , two medium-echelon
operatives, recruited two suicide terrorists for Al-Sayyid:
Nidal Qalaq and Abd al-Basset Oudeh. Nidal Qalaq was asked to write a will and
was granted a sum of money for expenses until dispatched to the suicide
bombing attack. |
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In August 2001, Amer Khudeiri was killed and further impediments
to the preparations arose, resulting in the action being delayed. Abbas
al-Sayyid found refuge in various hiding places but continued to maintain
contact with Hamas operatives in order to carry out his plan. |
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Toward the end of 2001, Abbas resumed
the preparations for the terror attack. This included: |
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The delivery of two explosive belts from
Nablus to Tulkarm. The belts were delivered to the new Tulkarm
mosque and hidden in the women's restroom. The explosive belts
were delivered from the mosque to a specially hired apartment (often, Hamas
controls mosques in the Palestinian Authority administered
territories and uses them for operational needs). |
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A driver familiar with Israel's territory
was located (Fathi Khatib of Tulkarm) and provided with a counterfeit ID
card registered on the name of a Taibeh resident. He was granted NIS 16,000
to acquire an Israeli vehicle (“Renault Express” model). |
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Technical preparations were made to record the
two suicide terrorists on a video tape to be circulated after the suicide
bombing attack for propaganda purposes. To this end, a video
camera was rented from a photography supplies store in Tulkarm. |
Final preparations for the suicide
bombing attack (night of March 26-27) |
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On March 26, 2002,
Abbas al-Sayyid, initiator and coordinator of the suicide bombing attack,
met Mu‘ammar Shahrouri, a middle-echelon operative, in an apartment in
Tulkarm where final preparations were made. A video camera recorder,
a Hamas flag, an M-16 rifle (for the tapes and the poster) and two explosive
belts were delivered to the apartment. Shahrouri informed Al-Sayyid that
Abd al-Basset was ready to carry out the suicide bombing
attack, but Nidal Qalaq was ill. It was decided then and there that the
suicide bombing attack would be carried out by a single suicide
terrorist. |
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During the night of March 26-27, Abbas
al-Sayyid wrote Abd al-Basset Oudeh's will (it is worth mentioning
that the will, presented on the video tape that was broadcast on television
as Oudeh's, was not written by Oudeh himself). Afterwards,
Al-Sayyid recorded Oudeh reading it. |
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Abd al-Basset Oudeh, perpetrator
of the Park hotel suicide bombing attack, is reading his will. The
footage was shown on Hezbollah's Al-Manar Television a
day after the suicide bombing attack (Al-Manar Television provides
Hamas with “information services”). The will read by Oudeh was written
by Abbas al-Sayyid, his handler, and the entire
ceremony was staged by Al-Sayyid and his assistants the night before
the Park hotel suicide bombing attack.
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Abbas al-Sayyid decided that Oudeh
should be dressed in women's clothing in order to conceal the explosive
belt. After reading the will, Oudeh shaved his beard and mustache, wore
a blue jeans and women's shoes. In addition, he wore a long-haired toupée. |
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Abbas al-Sayyid equipped
Oudeh with an explosive belt that contained approximately 20
lbs of explosives. It consisted of a vest with pockets containing
the explosive material, metal pellets (6.03 mm and 4.7 mm in diameter)
and pieces of shredded metal (50 mm length and 6 mm across). A plan to
incorporate cyanide was not implemented. Al-Sayyid showed Oudeh how to
detonate the belt using a switch. He also provided Fathi Khatib with
a previously-unused cellular phone so that he could be kept up-to-date
on the implementation of the suicide bombing attack. |
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Metal pellets and metal pieces added to the explosives to increase casualties |
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On morning of March 27, day of the
suicide bombing attack, driver Fathi Khatib was brought to the apartment.
Al-Sayyid decided that should the two be captured in Israel, Oudeh would
detonate the explosive belt even at the cost of Fathi Khatib's life. In
the course of preparations for this scenario, Fathi Khatib was photographed
as well in order to release his photograph should he be killed during the
implementation. |
Plans to incorporate
cyanide to increase the explosion's deadly effect |
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In the course of the preparations
for the Park hotel suicide bombing attack, Abbas al-Sayyid asked his nephew,
Tareq Ghanem Ahmed Zaydan, to assist in preparing a chemical substance which
would contribute to inflicting mass casualties. |
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Tareq Zaydan, who was tried in Israel
and sentenced to 6 years in prison, had studied Pharmacology in Jordan
and was recruited by Hamas in 1997. In 1997, he was asked by Hamas to conduct
a research on incorporating chemical substances and gases in terror attacks.
Zaydan conducted a research concerning nerve gas and chlorine
gas , in the course of which he procured 10 lbs of cyanide poison.
He delivered his findings and the cyanide poison to Hamas in summer of
1997 and even received a letter from Hamas abroad detailing
the use of cyanide poison and increasing its effectiveness. |
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In February 2002, Abbas al-Sayyid
asked Zaydan to deliver a vial of cyanide held in his
possession to be used in a massive terror attack. Zaydan delivered the
poison and the possibility of its use was considered in the course of preparations
for the Park hotel suicide bombing attack; however, ultimately it was not
utilized. After the suicide bombing attack, Abbas informed his nephew that he
intended to incorporate the cyanide in a suicide bombing he was planning
to carry out within a short period of time. |
The implementation
of the Park hotel suicide bombing Attack |
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On March 27, Passover Eve, around
14:00, suicide terrorist Oudeh and driver Fathi Khatib left the apartment
in Tulkarm and drove to the village of Nazlat ‘Isa. In Nazlat ‘Isa the
two switched to a vehicle prepared in advance and drove toward Herzliya to
find an appropriate target ( no specific target was stipulated and
it was left to their own consideration to find a target where heavy civilian
casualties could be inflicted).
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Upon failing to find an appropriate
target in Herzliya (that is, a location where heavy casualties
could be inflicted), they headed to Tel-Aviv, but no appropriate target
was found there either. On their way, Oudeh told Fathi Khatib that he was
familiar with Netanya and the two headed off in that
direction. Once in Netanya, they headed west and got off the vehicle next
to the Park hotel. The “appropriate” place, crowded with people celebrating
the Seder, was thus found. |
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Around 19:30, Oudeh entered the Park
hotel dining hall and detonated the explosive belt. Upon hearing the blast
and seeing ambulances rush toward the hotel, Fathi Khatib called Muhannad
Taher, a Hamas superior in Nablus, and informed him of the successful suicide
bombing attack. Taher called Abbas al-Sayyid and reported that the suicide
bombing attack was a success.
The outcome of “success”: destruction and devastation in the Park hotel dining
hall
after the dead and the wounded were evacuated.
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Actions
after the suicide bombing attack |
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Fathi Khatib drove to the village
of Nazlat ‘Isa, parked the vehicle, returned to his home and reported to
Abbas al-Sayyid that he had returned unharmed. |
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The video tape on
which Oudeh had been filmed was delivered to Ali Khudeiri in Nablus for
distribution to the media. |
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After the suicide bombing attack,
Muhannad Shrim, Abbas al-Sayyid's aide, organized a procession commemorating
Abd al-Basset Oudeh. Using loudspeakers mounted on a vehicle, he called
out to Tulkarm residents to join. A three-day-long mourning period commenced
at Oudeh's family house, during the course of which an attendant hired
by Muhannad Shrim served coffee to those who came to offer their condolences. |
Further
intentions |
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After the Park hotel suicide bombing, Abbas
al-Sayyid planned to carry out two additional mass murder terror attacks. |
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In this framework, plans were made
to use the remaining terrorist Nidal Qalaq and the remaining
explosive belt. As noted earlier, it was intended to incorporate the cyanide that
had not been incorporated in the Park hotel suicide bombing. |
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These terror attacks were foiled
in Operation Defensive Shield, during which the figures involved
were killed or captured. |
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Connection with Hamas leadership in
Damascus
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Syria currently
serves as the center stage for Hamas' political, propaganda and operational
activity. Hamas seniors (in particular, members of the “political
bureau”, presided over by Khaled Mash‘al ) reside
in Syria and coordinate Hamas activity in the Palestinian Authority administered
territories. |
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Abbas al-Sayyid, who
initiated and coordinated the Park hotel mass murder and stood behind numerous
other terror attacks, admitted in his interrogation that
he had maintained telephone contact with the Hamas headquarters in Damascus. He
stated that he had maintained contact with Khaled Mash‘al, leader
of the Hamas political bureau, consulted him on political issues and
informed him of terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas. Furthermore, he held
political discussions with Osama Hamdan, Hamas representative
in Lebanon. |
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However, his relation with
the headquarters in Damascus was not limited to political discussions
alone. Al-Sayyid stated that he had used
to contact Hamas headquarters in Syria whenever he needed funds. He
pointed out that he had been granted between $10,000-13,000 per
month towards funding Hamas activity. The sum was deposited in his
and his wife's joint bank account in Tulkarm. |
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It is worth mentioning that the financial
leverage serves the terror leadership “outside” [i.e., code
for the territory excluding the Palestinian Authority
administered territories and Israel proper] as an important means to
control the situation “within” and to encourage terror activity in the
Palestinian Authority administered territories. Evidence to the importance
of this leverage to all organizations was uncovered during Operation
Defensive Shield and came up during interrogations by Israeli security
services. Hamas operatives in the Palestinian Authority administered
territories receive financial backing from the organization's headquarters
in Damascus to finance their operational activity; furthermore, funds
collected through charity organizations are funneled from Syria and Lebanon
to find their way to the military-operational arm of Hamas. |
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Despite repeated appeals by the
Americans, Syria continues to allow Hamas and other
terror organizations to pursue political and operational activities within
its borders, including coordinating terror activities in the Palestinian
Authority administered territories. Syria's traditional claim that these
are nothing but “political and information offices” lacks any
substantiation whatsoever. |
