Israel Nabs Hamas Leader Behind 2003 Terror Attacks

IDF soldiers late last night arrested a top Hamas official in Ramallah, suspected of leading military cells responsible for the murder of more than 70 Israelis over the course of the second Intifada.

Mahar Udda, 47, has been wanted in Israel for over a decade for his alleged involvement in terror activity including the deadly double terror attack at Cafe Hillel in Yerushalayim and at the bus stop near the Tzrifin military base in central Israel on September 9, 2003.

He was one of the founding members of Hamas and built the Islamist movement’s military cell in the West Bank in the early 1990s.

The cell under his command allegedly gathered ammunition for Hamas terror activity against Israel and also kidnapped Palestinians suspected of cooperating with Israel.

He was arrested by the Palestinian Authority in 1998, but released shortly after.

Udda’s arrest was executed in a joint effort between the IDF, Israel Police and the Shin Bet security service.

{Haaretz/Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}