This past week terrorism events focused on the murder of Israeli actor Juliano Mer-Khamis, son of a Jewish mother and Arab father. In recent years he lived in the refugee camp in Jenin and ran the "Freedom Center," a theatre and school for actors. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad strongly condemned the murder, calling it a "despicable crime."
Sporadic rocket fire from the Gaza Strip continues to target Israeli communities in the western Negev (three hits identified this week). On April 2 Israeli aircraft attacked a car carrying three Hamas operatives who, according to the Israeli media, were planning to abduct Israelis in the Sinai Peninsula. Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad threatened revenge.
A car carrying operatives of the Hamas squad which, according to the Israeli media, planned to abduct Israeli civilians during the Passover holiday. The car was attacked by Israeli aircraft and its three passengers, all Hamas operatives, were killed (Hamas' Safa News Agency, April 2, 2011).
Israeli Aircraft Attack and Kill Terrorist Operatives
Hamas Squad Attacked
On April 2 Israeli aircraft attacked a car carrying operatives of a Hamas squad who, according to the Israeli media, were planning to abduct Israelis in the Sinai Peninsula during the Passover holiday. According to the Palestinian media, three members of the squad were killed and another Palestinian, apparently a passerby, was seriously wounded.
One of the terrorists killed was Ismail al-Lubad, bodyguard of the late Hamas leader Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi, who had advanced to a command position in Hamas' military wing. Another of the terrorists killed, Muhammad al-Daya, was a ground commander in Hamas military wing (Haaretz, Israel Radio Reshet Bet and Safa News Agency, April 2, 2011).
Continue to Full Report, including mortar and rocket attacks on Israel and other important news.
