Strike Against Senior Hamas Leader
The Hamas leadership has made a strategic decision to undermine the "Road Map," and ruin any chance of dialogue which
may lead to a cease-fire and political negotations.
Before and after the Aqaba summit, Hamas carried out a wave of deadly attacks, including an attack Sunday (June 8,
2003), against an IDF outpost in the Erez Industrial Zone in which four IDF soldiers were killed and four others
wounded.
In addition, Hamas has declared its intention to carry out suicide attacks in order to undermine the political process.
The Hamas strove to create a united front among the Palestinian terror groups, and cooperate with terrorist
organizations in Lebanon and Syria, as well as other international terrorist organizations.
Since 1993, Hamas has dispatched 113 suicide bombers, 72 of them since September 2000. As a result of the
above-mentioned suicide attacks, 227 Israelis were killed and 1,393 were wounded.
The IDF, following instructions of the Israeli government, will continue to do everything possible to fight terror and
safeguard the security of citizens of the State of Israel.