(Communicated by Israeli security sources)

Today, June 7, 2005, Mraweh Khaled Kamil, one of the most senior Islamic Jihad operatives in the Jenin area, was killed in a joint IDF and ISA operation after he opened fire and threw a hand grenade at the IDF force that came to arrest him. An IDF officer was lightly wounded when the operatives opened fire at the force.

The IDF force arrived this morning at the house in Kabatiya, where Kamil and other Islamic Jihad terrorists were hiding. The terrorists opened fire at the force from several areas of the house simultaneously, wounding an IDF officer. The force returned fire at the gunmen. After several minutes, two wanted men came out of the house and turned themselves in to the force. The IDF force called upon an additional wanted Palestinian inside the house to surrender, but instead he continued to fire at the force; the force returned fire. In order to stop the firing and arrest the man, part of the house was demolished. During a search of the house, the IDF force found the body of wanted senior Islamic Jihad terrorist Mraweh Kamil, a member of the Islamic Jihad network in the Jenin area. An M-16 assault rifle, a handgun and a hand grenade were found next to the body of Kamil.

Mraweh Khaled Tawfik Kamil, 27, a resident of Kabatiya, was recruited to the Islamic Jihad terrorist network in Jenin in May 2003, and was planning to carry out a suicide terror attack in the heart of Israel.

The suicide attack was thwarted following specific intelligence information. Kamil, who knew he was wanted by Israeli security forces for his involvement in terrorism, decided to turn himself in to Palestinian Authority security forces, and was imprisoned in the Palestinian Authority prison in Jericho for several months. there he developed contacts with other Islamic Jihad terrorists from various networks throughout the West Bank who were imprisoned with him.

In May, 2004 Kamil escaped from the Palestinian Authority prison in Jericho and returned to Kabatiya. The contacts Kamil made during the period of his imprisonment in the Palestinian Authority prison in Jericho helped him after his escape to solidify his status as a leading figure in the terrorist organization. After a short period of time he became involved in the Islamic Jihad's activities in the northern West Bank and Jenin, after being trained personally by senior wanted Islamic Jihad members in Jenin.

During this period Kamil was involved in strengthening the Islamic Jihad network in the northern West Bank and in Jenin, recruiting members, and planning and attempting to carry out various terror attacks against Israeli targets.

Over the course of the past year Kamil was promoted within the Islamic Jihad terror organization, maintained direct contact with the Islamic Jihad headquarters abroad and was responsible for distributing funds and weaponry to Islamic Jihad terrorists in the northern West Bank and Jenin. He was personally responsible for directing Islamic Jihad terror attacks carried against Israeli targets.

After the declaration of the current period of calm, Kamil continued his activities and personally carried out a shooting attack in April 2005 in the Jenin area, during which an IDF soldier was wounded.