AMMAN - Three Hamas militants pleaded innocent in a Jordanian military court Wednesday to charges of conspiring to attack Israeli businessmen, Jordanian intelligence officers and other targets in Jordan.

Ayman Naji Daraghmeh, Ahmed Abu Rabee and Ahmed Abu Thiyab also pleaded
innocent to monitoring and photographing the Israeli Embassy, the homes of the Israeli ambassador and his staff, as well as the offices of Jordanian companies that have dealings with Israeli firms. They were also charged with illegal possession of arms.

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If convicted, the three men could face the death penalty.

Last April, Jordanian authorities arrested 20 alleged Hamas militants on
suspicion of monitoring Jordanian intelligence officers and foreign tourists to plan attacks. Authorities released all but the three who appeared in court Wednesday, apparently for lack of evidence.

Al-Daraghmeh told the authorities where they could find several weapons
caches, according to the indictment that was released last month.

The three defendants, all Jordanians of Palestinian origin, confessed on
Jordanian state TV in May to conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks and to acquiring weapons and ammunition for Hamas.

Al-Daraghmeh said he received orders from an unnamed high level Hamas leader living in Syria.

In a brief hearing Wednesday, the three entered pleas of "not-guilty." pleas.

In an earlier hearing, defense lawyers told the court that the defendants had been beaten during interrogation and forced to sign confessions saying they were guilty.

Hamas has denied any involvement in the case, arguing that Jordan was attempting to undermine the Palestinian government.

The trial was adjourned to December 27.