(Communicated by IDF Spokesman)

In an Israeli security forces operation in Gaza City, this evening
(Thursday), October 21, 2004, the IAF targeted the terrorist Adnan Al-Ghoul, a senior Hamas leader.

The terrorist Adnan Al-Ghoul was the leading Hamas figure responsible for the developing and the production of the Qassam rockets.

Adnan Al-Ghoul knowledge was used to manufacture explosive devices for deadly terrorist attacks against Israeli targets in which dozens of Israelis were murdered and hundreds were injured. He produced the explosive device that was use in the terrorist attack on January 1995 in Beit Lid, and the explosive device that was used in the terrorist attack on March 1996 in Dizengoff Street, in Tel-Aviv.

Since the beginning of the current conflict in September 2000, Al-Ghoul was responsible for the manufacturing of the Hamas weaponry in the Gaza strip. He was among those responsible for developing and producing the Qassam 1 and the Qassam 2 rockets. In addition, he was working to produce new anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry.

The terrorist Adnan Al-Ghoul also guided Hamas terrorists in carrying out attacks aimed at IDF forces in the Gaza Strip.

As a member of the Palestinian penetrative security service, Al-Ghoul enjoyed full immunity from the Palestinian security apparatus, and operated in coordination with senior Palestinian security officials.