Israel Defense Forces Captures Netanya, Israel Terror Bomber

By Israel News Agency Staff

Jerusalem ----July 27 ..... The Islamic Palestine terrorist who was involved in the Netanya, Israel shopping mall suicide bombing was arrested in Jenin today, security sources told the Israel News Agency.

A wanted Islamic Jihad terrorist was arrested this morning during an operation by Israel security forces in Jenin. Adham Mahmad Abed-El Aziz Yunis, 22 years-old, originally from the village of Illar, near Tulkarm, was involved in several large terror attacks against Israel citizens.

Adham Yunis was involved in the deadly suicide bombing at the Netanya "Sharon Mall" on December 5th, 2005, where 6 Israel civilians were murdered and dozens were wounded. The Israel security guard, who stopped the bomber from entering the mall, also died in the attack. Yunis personally transported the suicide bomber to the point of attack in Netanya, Israel.

Disguised Israel Police Border Guard officers (MAGAV) operating in the West Bank city spotted Yunis sitting in a car. As the officers burst the car door open they noticed he was holding a gun between his legs and immediately detained him.

Netanya is a coastal resort city in the Center District of Israel about an hour's drive north of Tel Aviv. Netanya is the capital of the Sharon plain and is located between "Poleg" stream and Wingate Physical Fitness Institute in the south and the "Avichail" stream in the north. The city has 14 km of beaches which have made the town a very popular tourist resort. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), at the end of 2006 the city had a total population of 173,300. In March 2006, American property tycoon, Donald Trump, announced plans for a new hotel in Netanya.

Netanya, Israel is 14 km, 9 miles from the Palestinian city of Tulkarm. Netanya has suffered from numerous Palestinian terrorist attacks aimed at Israel civilians. In March 2002, Netanya was the site of the Passover Massacre.

In addition, Yunis was involved in the dispatch of the terrorist in the failed Islamic Jihad attempted suicide attack in the Israel city of Bat Yam in February 2007. During this period, Yunis lived in an apartment in Burkin, in the area of Jenin, with other wanted Palestinian operatives who were involved in the planning of other terror attacks, including Elias Eshkar and Nidal Abu Saada.

During his years of intensive terrorist activity, Adham Yunis was also involved in numerous shooting and bombing attacks against IDF forces.

An IDF airstrike near Gaza City killed three senior Islamic Jihad terrorists yesterday. Local Arabs said the men were driving south of the city when the missile hit. Islamic Jihad spokesmen confirmed that Omer Al-Khatib, the group's Gaza City military commander, was killed in the strike. The other two dead terrorists were identified as Khalil Al-Daife and Ahmed El-Halawi.

IDF sources said that Al-Khatib was responsible for an attempted attack on Kissufim crossing in June. Al-Khatib was also behind the arrest and torture of an Arab man suspected of assisting Israel.

Thursday night, Arab terrorists fired at least four rockets at Sderot, a town in Israel's Negev desert.
One of Kassam rockets scored a direct hit on a home in the center of Sderot. The building was vacated recently, after its owner died. Several people nearby were treated for shock. A rocket landed north of Sderot, as well, and others struck near Negev agricultural communities adjacent to the city.

Near Hebron, Israel a group of 20 extreme-left Israel vandals attacked a security fence on Thursday, tearing down 20 meters of it. The destroyed section was located near the Arab village of Tzurif. The Hebron fence is part of the larger security barrier under construction in Judea and Samaria created to reduce the number of terror attacks. The leftist vandals, who support the terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, used the excuse that the security fence had a negative impact on local Arabs' quality of life and that it was built on Arab-owned land.

Over 1,133 people have been murdered by Palestine violence and terrorism since September 2000.

Between September 29, 2000 and May 1, 2006, Magen David Adom treated a total of 7,844 terror victims as follows: 999 killed, 642 severely injured, 940 moderately, and 5,263 lightly injured, among them 11 MDA staff members.
(IDF casualties treated by IDF medical personnel are not included in these figures.)