(Communicated by Israel security sources)

On December 30, 2004 Jabril Mahmmed A-Rahman Zubeidi, a 19-year-old wanted Islamic Jihad terrorist, was arrested in a joint IDF and ISA activity after attempting to escape his abandoned vehicle. The security forces uncovered an M-16 assault rifle and two ammunition clips inside the vehicle. Jabril Zubeidi is the brother of Zakariya Zubeidi, the head of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Jenin.

Jabril Zubeidi had been wanted for his activities with the Islamic Jihad infrastructure in the Jenin area and had been involved with many other wanted terrorists in the area, several of whom have also been arrested.

Zubeidi had operated relentlessly to carry out terrorist attacks against IDF forces in the northern West Bank and against civilians inside Israel. He had also been involved in shooting attacks at IDF soldiers and the planning and directing of many terrorist attacks.

During the course of his investigation by the ISA, Zubeidi stated that the Islamic Jihad infrastructure to which he belonged had planned deadly terrorist attacks. These attacks include:

- The planning of a terrorist attack at a elementary school: Zubeidi was involved in an attempt to carry out a terrorist attack in the French Hill neighborhood in Jerusalem and was in charge of dispatching the terrorists.The two terrorists planned to carry out a shooting attack at a school in the French Hill neighborhood. Security forces thwarted the planned terror attack by arresting the two terrorists before they could get to the scene.

- The launching of missiles at Afula: The Islamic Jihad planned to launch missiles at the Israeli city of Afula. They planned to do this by smuggling the missiles and equipment into Israel and setting up the launching pad in the Ta'anachim region located north of Jenin and launching the missiles at the city of Afula. The plan to launch the missiles failed due to technical difficulties of the infrastructure. It should be noted that the recognition that was created among terrorist organizations as to the weakened morale of the Israeli communities who have been sustaining missile attacks over the past 4 years gave them the impetus to duplicate such attacks in other areas.

- Car rigged with explosives: Zubeidi admitted in his investigation that he had been involved in the preparation of an explosive vehicle with senior wanted Islamic Jihad terrorists in Jenin. The car bomb was to be detonated at IDF soldiers near an IDF crossing in the seam zone.