Terrorist behind murder of 5 Israelis nabbed

It was cleared for publication that a special Border Guard, IDF and Shin Bet force apprehended Monday evening a senior al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades member who is responsible for the deaths of three IDF soldiers, a police officer and an Israeli civilian.

Nasser Abiaat, 33, who was caught in Halhul, north of Hebron in the West Bank, was wanted since 2000 for his involvement in several terror attacks in the Bethlehem area on behalf of Fatah’s armed wing. In addition, Abiaat took part in shooting attacks at the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Gilo and Har Choma.

Abiaat, a resident of Bethlehem, was caught while hiding in a nearby safehouse. He was in possession of a pistol and a bullet cartridge at the time of the arrest. Two other wanted terror suspects were detained along with Abiaat, and all three were taken in for questioning by security forces.

Among others, Abiaat was involved in an incident in 2000 in which an IDF soldier, Sergeant Max Hazan, was killed from a sniper's bullet near Beit Sahour, east of Bethlehem. In another incident he was involved in that year west of Bethlehem, two IDF soldiers were killed - Lieutenant David Chen-Cohen and Sergeant Shlomo Adishana - and four others were wounded.

Abiaat was also involved in an attack in 2002 where an Israeli-American civilian, Avraham (Avi) Boaz was murdered after driving into Beit Jala, a town south of Bethlehem.

That same year, Israeli police officer Moshe Dayan was killed after being shot from an ambush while riding a motorcycle near the Mar Saba Monastery, east of Bethlehem, another incident Abiaat was implicated in.

According to security officials Abiaat was involved lately with arms trade and maintained ties with wanted top terrorists.