The Victim:
(The number One “Wanted” Palestinian by Israel, in the West Bank)
Leader of the Military Branch of Hamas Movement (al-Qassam Brigades)
34 years old
From the village of ‘Asira al-Shamaliya near Nablus
Details of the attack:
On Friday 23/11/2001, at about 19:00 hours, two Apachi aircrafts fired 5 missiles at a public car (Volswagen van) on the road outside Yassid village north of Nablus, instantly killing two men:
Ayman Rashid Hashayka, 33, married with 5 children
and Ma’moun Rashid Hashayka, 30, married with two children … they’re brothers
The target of the attack (Abu-Hannoud) managed to get off the car and ran few meters before he was gunned down with a wave of gun-fire from the helicopters. The body of Abu-Hannoud was scattered in the area, but his family managed to identify him. He was dressed in clothes of an old Palestinian man, trying to hide from the Israeli forces, or their agents in the territories.
Background:
Mahmoud Abu-Hannoud became the # 1 “wanted” Palestinian in the West Bank, after the killing of Mohey-eddin el-Sharif. He was responsible for killing more than 25 Israelis since 1997. Israeli says he trained 5 suicide bombers who carried out attacks against Israeli targets.
Abu-Hannoud was deported to South Lebanon in December 1992.
And in 1996 he was arrested by the PA.
Israel has tried twice, before this time, to assassinate Abu-Hannoud:
- On 26/8/2000 Abu-Hannoud managed to escape from his village after his house was surrounded by the Israeli army, nevertheless, he killed three soldiers and escaped after he was injured.
- On 20/5/2001 Israeli shelled a Palestinian jail in Nablus, where Abu-Hannoud was detained by the PA, using the F-16 warplanes for the first time in the al-Aqsa Intifada, but again Abu-Hannoud escaped death.
* Avi-Bazner, spokesperson of the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said on 24/11/2001 that (Israel achieved a great victory against terrorism by killing Abu-Hannoud). While Shimon Peres, the Israeli foreign Minister, said that (the activities of Abu-Hannoud were a barrier facing the continuation of the peace process.
* More than 70 thousand Palestinians walked in the march at the funeral of Abu-Hannoud, while Hamas Islamic movement issued a strong communiqué promising for revenge from Israel.