May 11th 2006
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Attributed to "security sources" [distribued by the IDF Spokesperson's
Office]

Now released for publication: Two Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip
arrested as they attempted to infiltrate Israel through the Egyptian border
in an attempt to found a Hamas terror cell in Judea and Samaria

In a joint IDF, ISA and Israeli Police operation on April 14th 2006,
security forces arrested two Hamas terrorists as they attempted to
infiltrate Israel through the Israeli-Egyptian border.

Razek Ahmed Muhammed Shabaan and Jama'a Ibrahim Issa Azam were identified in
the area of Mt. Harif near the border, carrying two handguns, fragmentation
grenades and $2,300 in cash.

The two men stated in their questioning that they intended to found a terror
cell inside Israel and in Judea and Samaria that will be composed of
additional Hamas terrorists originating from the Gaza Strip, the objective
of this cell, under the guidance of senior Hamas members in the Gaza Strip,
would be to kidnap Israeli soldiers.

Suliman Mussa Suliman Natzatzra, 35, a resident of Tiebe who was recruited
by an illegal Palestinian worker to transport the two terrorists to their
destination was also arrested. The illegal Palestinian worker was arrested
on April 17th in the Negev area.

Shabaan and Azam were arrested only two weeks after another Hamas terrorist
from the Gaza Strip, Sami Mathuli Jabar Hafi, was arrested in Tulkarm on
March 29th 2006, after being dispatched to the West Bank by senior Hamas
terrorists from the Gaza Strip, also in an attempt to found a Hamas terror
cell there.

Razek Shabaan, 33, a resident of Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza, was released
from an Israeli jail in 2004, after being imprisoned in 1999 for his
involvement with the Hamas terror organization and the planning of Israeli
kidnappings. During the time of his imprisonment Shabaan met many terror
operatives from Judea and Samaria. In his questioning Shabaan stated that
Jama'a Azam, 38, also a resident of Jabaliya, offered him to assist the
Hamas organization by using his connections in Judea and Samaria.

Shabaan agreed and met with Iman Mantzur, head of the Hamas terror
organization in Jabaliya, who instructed him to leave to Ramallah and along
with other Hamas members from the Gaza Strip, establish a terror cell that
will kidnap a soldier. Shabaan was instructed to rent an apartment that
would be used to hide the kidnapped soldier.

In order to carry out the plan and reinforce his connections in Judea and
Samaria, Shabaan contacted Hassan Haloa, a Hamas terrorist from Ramallah who
is currently serving his sentence in the Kziot facility. Shabaan contacted
Haloa by concealing a letter in the lining of a pair of pants that were
transferred to Haloa during a visit to the prison by his family. In the
letter Shabaan requested Haloa's assistance in his plans.

Shabaan also stated in his inquiry that Mantzur explained that to get to
Ramallah Shabaan would need to infiltrate Israel through the Sinai desert
with Jama'a Azam and arrive at the Israeli city of Be'er Sheva, where they
were to meet an illegal Palestinian worker who was recruited to aid them
inside Israel. The worker, Shabaan and Azam, were to locate places inside
Israel, collect intelligence about them and later carry out terror attacks
there.

Jama'a Azam stated that Mantzur told him that the instructions to found a
Hamas infrastructure in Judea & Samaria and inside Israel originate from the
Hamas organization leadership. In a meeting with Ahmad Andur, head of the
Hamas organization in the northern Gaza Strip, Azam was told that he was to
take in Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip who would be sent to him in
order to carry out terror attacks. Their particular objective would be to
kidnap soldiers and use them as hostages to negotiate the release of
prisoners.

Jama'a also stated in his questioning that he had been involved in numerous
terror attacks as part of the Hamas organization. These include the
detonation of explosive devices, launching projectile rockets towards the
city of Sderot as well as other communities and recruiting new terrorists as
he operated as the head of a Hamas cell.

As was mentioned earlier, Shabaan and Azam were arrested two weeks after the
arrest of Sami Hafi, 25, also of the Gaza Strip on March 29th in Tulkarm.
Hafi left the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing and infiltrated Israel
through the Israeli-Egyptian Sinai border. Hafi stated in his questioning
that he was recruited to the Hamas organization several months prior to his
arrest. He stated that under the guidance of Rafat Salmaan, a senior Hamas
terrorist in Jabaliya who had previously dispatched other terrorists into
Israel, he arrived in Tulkarm to found a base for Hamas terrorists from the
Gaza Strip from which they would carry out attacks. He was also to provide
logistic aid to them.

Hafi added that Salmaan instructed him to secure a regular job in Tulkarm.
He explained that due to the current political situation Hafi would not
receive missions immediately but instead would have to wait in Tulkarm,
recruit more members from Gaza and prepare for future attacks.