(Communicated by Israeli security sources)

In a joint IDF and ISA operation early this morning, June 2, 2006, security forces arrested senior PFLP operative Jawwad Quabaya in the Evangelistic Hospital in Nablus, where he was treated for an injury sustained during an exchange of fire with an IDF force last week.

In the past several months Quabaya stood at the head of the PFLP infrastructure in Nablus, and was responsible for recruiting many suicide bombers. Quabaya also attempted to direct various terror attacks and was involved in the manufacturing of explosives and explosive belts for the PFLP infrastructure in the city of Nablus.

In the past year Quabaya had been involved in several attempts to carry out attacks, including an attempt to blow up an IDF post in the village of Jit, west of Nablus, which was thwarted due the soldiers' alertness. 

- In December 2005 he attempted to dispatch a car bomb attack into Israel.

- In January 2006 Quabaya recruited several youths and minors in order to carry out suicide attacks in Israel. These attacks were thwarted with the arrest of the potential suicide bombers.

In addition Quabaya had been involved in dispatching shooting attacks at IDF soldiers in the city of Nablus and attempts to detonate explosive devices on main routs in the area surrounding the city.

Following his arrest this morning, Quabaya was transferred to an Israeli hospital fur further treatment.