The highest ranking Hamas militant wanted by Israel was charged recently with the murder of 36 Israeli civilians in a string of terrorist attacks since the beginning of the second Intifada.

The military court in Judea ruled that Ibrahim Hamad was guilty of coordinating three attacks in Jerusalem in 2002: the suicide bombing at the Moment Café, in which 11 people were killed; the suicide attack at the Sheffield Club, in which 16 people were killed; and the bombing at the Hebrew University, in which nine people were killed.

Hamas was also charged with responsibility for causing an explosion in a gas tanker at the Pli-Glilot facility, and for laying a bomb on railway track near Rehovot. In addition, he was charged with planning to place a large explosive device at the Tzvata club in Tel Aviv, an attack which was thwarted with the arrest of his accomplices.