Israeli security forces have arrested Sheikh Ibrahim Hamed, the most wanted man in the West Bank. Hamed, 41, is the Ramallah-area commander of Hamas' 'military wing' in the West Bank. He was arrested at a hideout in the al-Balua neighborhood of Ramallah and surrendered to IDF troops, Shin Bet security forces and a specialty anti-terror unit of the police.
Hamed has been wanted since 1998 for terror attacks that have taken the lives of 78 Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Among the attacks Hamed is believed to have helped plan and direct are:
* A car bombing in Zion Square in the heart of Jerusalem five years ago, an attack which killed 11 people.
* A March 2002 suicide bombing at the Moment coffee house adjacent to the Prime Minister's official residence in the city, in which 12 people were killed.
* A double suicide bombing in September 2003, which killed a total of 17 people at the Hillel cafe in Jerusalem's German colony, and adjacent to the Tsrifin IDF base.
* A December 2001 double suicide bombing in Jerusalem's Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall, in which 11 people died.
* A July 2002 bombing at the cafeteria of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem that killed five Americans and four Israelis.
Initially, Hamed refused to surrender after Israeli forces surrounded his hideout but when a bulldozer began to push against the walls of the building, Hamed surrendered, unharmed.
A total of 12 Palestinian militants were arrested as part of a program of overnight raids in the West Bank by Israeli security forces.
Hamed had previously been arrested by the Palestinian Authority for his role in attacks against Israelis but was let go in 2002.
An IDF colonel told Israeli Army radio that Hamas would have trouble replacing Hamed. 'What made him special was his creativity in finding very complex ways to attack Israelis,' he said. Now, he is behind bars.
