Last update - 02:49 02/01/2008
Terrorists who killed two Israelis in W. Bank are Fatah men
By Yuval Azoulay
The terrorists who carried out Friday's shooting attack near the West Bank city of Hebron, killing two Israelis, were both employed by the Palestinian Authority, according to information made public yesterday.
The terrorists turned themselves into the custody of the PA's General Intelligence Service (GIS) immediately following the attack, due to their fears they would be captured by Israeli security forces.
Ahikam Amihai and David Rubin, who were killed in the attack, were Israel Defense Forces soldiers on leave from their units. They were hiking near Hebron when they came under fire from Palestinian terrorists in a Jeep.
Amihai and Rubin were both armed, and managed to return fire, killing one of the terrorists. Their female companion, a Kiryat Arba resident who had joined them for the hike, was uninjured.
The Palestinian intelligence agencies did not immediately inform Israel that the terrorists were in its custody, and only did so once the Shin Bet security service approached Palestinian officials.
PA confirmation
Following the Shin Bet request, Palestinian intelligence confirmed that the terrorists had turned themselves in, and even handed over to Israel the victims' weapons, which the assailants had taken following the attack, as well as the weapons used in the shooting.
The terrorist who was killed was identified as 23-year-old Hebron resident Bassel Natsha.
The two who turned themselves in are 24-year-old Hebron resident Ali Dandanes, a court clerk and Fatah member who has ties to the Palestiian intelligence, and 26-year-old Hebron resident Amar Taha, a Fatah member and a member of the Palestinian national security forces.
According the Palestinian inquiry, the attack was premeditated, and the terrorists had waited for an opportune time to carry it out. One of the terrorists spotted the three Israeli hikers, and called the other two terrorists to the scene in order to carry out the attack.