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David Rubin (L) and Ahikam Amihai were killed Friday by Fatah terrorists while hiking in the West Bank. (Flash 90 / IDF)
Last update - 21:30 01/01/2008
Terrorists who carried out deadly W. Bank shooting were Fatah men
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: terrorism, Israel, Fatah 

The terrorists who carried out Friday's shooting attack near the West Bank city of Hebron, killing two Israelis, were both members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction, according to information made public Tuesday.

The terrorists turned themselves into Palestinian Authority general intelligence custody immediately following the attack, due to fears they would be captured by Israeli security forces that were in pursuit.

Ahikam Amihai and David Rubin, who were killed in the attack, were both Israel Defense Forces soldiers on leave from their unit. They were hiking near Hebron when they came under fire from Palestinian terrorists in a Jeep.
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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 PA general intelligence 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.

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 Palestinian general 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 Israeli hikers, and called the other two to the scene in order to carry out the attack.



Related articles:
  • Soldiers killed on hike in West Bank eulogized for courage
  • PA premier Fayyad says suspects in killings of 2 Israelis caught by PA
  • PM: Israel won't take security risks until PA fights terror
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      1.   wow haaertz called them terrorists?? 21:01  |  vik 01/01/08
      2.   We Already Know That Fatah Are Terrorists 21:05  |  Yishai Kohen 01/01/08
      3.   Great! Now please hand these killers over to Israel 21:06  |  Alan 01/01/08
      4.   The moderates: Murder Inc. 21:18  |  Ilan 01/01/08
      5.   This is why Israel should not arm *any* Palestinian faction 21:25  |  Gili 01/01/08
      6.   Great! Bring Them to the Hilton, I mean Jail 21:30  |  Yechiel 01/01/08
      7.   Death Penalty is Only For Germans 21:32  |  Yechiel 01/01/08
      8.   olmert supplies arms to his partner in terror 21:34  |  eddie 01/01/08
      9.   Yishai Kohen soon to be a "Palestinian" 21:35  |  Labhras 01/01/08
      10.   # 1 in the front door and out the back 21:36  |  Joy 01/01/08
      11.   A response for 2008 21:36  |  Steve 01/01/08
      12.   Terrorists?! Don`t think so 21:37  |  David Cohen 01/01/08
      13.   Let`s stop pretending 21:40  |  Israel Israeli 01/01/08
      14.   peace process 21:41  |  kathy 01/01/08
      15.   Is Haaretz Undergoing A momentous... 21:41  |  Yahsra Ohion 01/01/08
      16.   Olmert MUST rush delivery of Armored Cars to Fatah 21:42  |  * BEN JABO 01/01/08
      17.   What`s the problem if they were IDF reservists? 21:43  |  Tim 01/01/08
      18.   Fatah terrorists 21:43  |  Edifice 01/01/08
      19.   Meretz still insists that the freedom fighters be freed 21:45  |  Binyamin Dissen 01/01/08
      20.   convenient.... 21:45  |  Bob 01/01/08
      21.   This situation 21:48  |  J K 01/01/08
      22.   NOTORIOUS FATAH LIERS=TERRORISTS WITH SUITS 21:54  |  WARRIOR 01/01/08
      23.   terror and olmert 21:55  |  geroge 01/01/08
      24.   ali and amar 21:56  |  yossef entebbe 01/01/08
      25.   Another terrorist attack by PA`s "security forces" 21:59  |  Marwan مروان خوري 01/01/08
      26.   Fatah Terrorists 21:59  |  m 01/01/08
      27.   pathetic really 22:01  |  alan 01/01/08
      28.   5 months community service! 22:01  |  Fred Locke 01/01/08
      29.   Simple Suggestion 22:01  |  Alex 01/01/08
      30.   DEATH PENALTY! 22:03  |  Yechiel 01/01/08
      31.   Stop Terror with Justice! 22:04  |  Yechiel 01/01/08
      32.   If these 2 are Gen. Keith Dayton`s trainees, he must be removed 22:06  |  Dr. L. Brnd 01/01/08
      33.   The Blood Cries for Revenge! 22:06  |  Yechiel 01/01/08
      34.   CRY FOR THE VICTIMS NOT THE OPPRESSORS! 22:07  |  Yechiel 01/01/08
      35.   If you sign an agreement with Abbas, that what you will get 22:07  |  Dan 01/01/08
      36.   The Israeli government/ military tried covering this up 22:07  |  Alon 01/01/08
      37.   Shooting 22:11  |  Sal 01/01/08
      38.   fatah men killed the idf soldiers! 22:12  |  lakshmi 01/01/08
      39.   We must stop olmart- AT ANY COST 22:17  |  Orah 01/01/08
      40.   re #3 `Great! Now please hand these killers over to Israel` 22:19  |  Colin Wright 01/01/08
      41.   So the 25% that didn?t vote for Chamas also want us dead 22:19  |  Itamar 01/01/08
      42.   The real problem 22:23  |  Colin Wright 01/01/08
      43.   PA`s opportunity to change the dynamic 22:31  |  peter 01/01/08
      44.   Haaretz I`m shocked 22:46  |  bytheway 01/01/08
      45.   People of ?moderate? Abbas 22:47  |  KUTW 01/01/08
      46.   Haaretz: You call them Terrorists? 23:02  |  Parviz 01/01/08
      47.   Fatah R murder partners got guns from PM&DM 23:07  |  sam 01/01/08
      48.   A Good Trade: The Killers Of Rubin And Amihai For Olmert 23:11  |  Murray 01/01/08
      49.   The real "Terrorists" 23:20  |  Ibn Filastin 01/01/08
      50.   what`s the definition of "terrorist"? 23:27  |  nobodysacred 01/01/08
      51.   5 Peter - Yes, According to Fayyad 23:32  |  Mark of Lewiston 01/01/08
      52.   Abbas=liar 23:48  |  Connie 01/01/08
      53.   fatah men 23:52  |  Shmuelshachor 01/01/08
      54.   Colin Wright 00:10  |  rich 02/01/08
      55.   DON`T BLAME FATAH 00:11  |  RAY 02/01/08
      56.   45 rich,the problem is: this is the kettle calling the pot black! 00:23  |  lakshmi 02/01/08
      57.   It is a war....shit happens but........... 00:23  |  Avrum 02/01/08
      58.   PA Police in Action - Time for Revolution 00:30  |  Straight Talk 02/01/08
      59.   the message 00:38  |  Freedom 02/01/08
      60.   re Rich #45 `Colin Wright` 00:50  |  Colin Wright 02/01/08
      61.   to Ibn Filestin 01:00  |  Gromek 02/01/08
      62.   Who thinks they are still in jail? 01:36  |  Jon 02/01/08
      63.   FATAH Covering the chain of command of the terrorists 01:40  |  PETER SM 02/01/08
      64.   They are not Terrorists. This was simply a criminal act. 02:10  |  POP 02/01/08
      65.   They are not Terrorists. This was simply a criminal act. 02:10  |  POP 02/01/08
      66.   Daily Terror 02:13  |  morice 02/01/08
      67.   once they go out of jail, they are dead meat. 02:20  |  Joey 02/01/08
      68.   "Terrorists": 11 times! 02:38  |  David James Vickery 02/01/08
      69.   These are the Palestinians of Hebron 02:56  |  Efox 02/01/08
      70.   You cannot trust the BEST of Palestinians..... 02:57  |  Dagma 02/01/08
      71.   #91 POP - who you kidding 03:02  |  * BEN JABO 02/01/08
      72.   Ibn Filastin of Occupied Jerusalem, the year 638 CE, welcome ! 03:07  |  avigdor 02/01/08
      73.   #40 Ibn Falastin - I`ll ask one easy question 03:07  |  * BEN JABO 02/01/08
      74.   IDIOTS 03:22  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 02/01/08
      75.   DJ VICKERY. UPSET When (occasionally)the P.C. media does not sing 04:17  |  PETER SM 02/01/08
      76.   so this is what they call peace 04:33  |  levi 02/01/08
      77.   hope the girl would reflect on this tragedy and pick up target 06:13  |  avigdor 02/01/08
      78.   The fictional "peace process" requires a fictional peace partner. 20:44  |  Chaim 02/01/08
      79.   #73 IBN FALISTIN 2ND REQUEST 22:20  |  * BEN JABO 02/01/08
      80.   Big Surprise ( but only to dunderheads) 01:39  |  Tod Zuckerman 03/01/08
      81.   Ohhhh Mussie mussie mussies mussies! 05:07  |  Cristo 03/01/08
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