Israeli State officially assassinates Hamas security chief.

Jamal Abu Samhadana, recently made the Hamas government’s top security chief, died late yesterday in a targetted assassination by an Israeli air strike on a militants’ training camp. Although a former member of the secular Fatah movement, Samhadanah, 43, was named to his post and given the rank of colonel last month by Saed Siyam, the Hamas interior minister.It is evident he was in the Israeli Government's sites for a long time.
In his security role, Samhadanah oversaw various branches of the 70,000-member Palestinian security services, including a 3,000-member force deployed on the streets of Gaza last month.

Previously as the leader of the small Popular Resistance Committees faction, he was revered in Gaza as a key figure in Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel.

Soon after the airstrike, which occurred just before midnight Thursday and wounded at least 10 others, scores of armed men stormed the hospital in Rafah. Many of them vowed to exact revenge for Samhadanah's death as they kissed his body and carried it on their shoulders through Rafah's streets in a raucous procession ending up at a big rally.

He has been accused of planning several attacks on Jewish settlements in Gaza -- including an ambush in 2004 that killed a pregnant settler, Tali Hatuel, 34, and her four daughters -- before the Israeli government evacuated its settlements and military bases from the strip last year.

The first strike in revenge came on September 25/26th 2005 the Israeli Air Force continued its attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip. one was was the targeted killing of sheik Muhammad Sheikh Khalil. After the event Momi Malka, the father of Tali Hatuel who was killed with her four daughters , called Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and told him in excitement and tears, "you kept your promise."

On May 2nd 2006 the Ministry of Foreign Affiars (headed by Tzipi Livini) had a long memorial piece on the Ministry Website.

Tali Hatuel and her four daughters were killed May 2, 2004 - when two Palestinian terrorists fired on an Israeli car at the entrance to the Gaza Strip settlement bloc of Gush Katif. They were on their way to campaign against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan. Their white Citroen station wagon spun off the road after the initial shooting, then the attackers approached the vehicle and shot the occupants dead at close range. The Hatuels' car was riddled with bullets, and the carpet inside was stained with blood. The girls were killed hugging one another. On the car was a bumper sticker saying, "Uprooting the settlements, victory for terror."

Last month, Israeli cabinet minister Zeev Boim told Israel Radio: "We have old scores to settle with this murderer. He has no immunity, and we will have to settle this score sooner or later."

Abu Samhadana escaped an assassination attempt in December 2004. Former Shin Bet Chief and current Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter 22nd April 2006 "Samhadana is a criminal, a murderer hired by Hamas, who should be jailed by Israel at the first opportunity it gets."

"Jamal Abu Samhadana is a criminal and a hired killer by the Hamas who deserves to be jailed by Israel at the first chance it gets," Dichter said two months ago.

In the Jerusalem Post hours ago ...

Labor MK Ami Ayalon, former head of the Shin Bet, said Friday in response to the targeted killing of Popular Resistance Committees leader Jamal Abu Samhadana overnight, that the IDF had taken the correct course of action. Ayalon told Army Radio that "Samhadana had to go. He was involved in terror attacks, one of the few who never tried to hide it."

Earlier, Labour leader Peretz said in a meeting with security officials in Tel Aviv that "No terrorist from any of the organizations will be immune if they engage in anti-Israel terror activity."

Will there be widespread protests from Political leaders in the West about such state Terrorism ? Well maybe, it was no coincidence thatthe one / two legged fantasy terrorist Mr Zarkawi was hitting the headlines at the time.