Hamas leader escapes Palestinian prison

From CNN Correspondent Rula Amin

GAZA CITY (CNN) -- The head of the armed branch of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas escaped five days ago from a Palestinian prison, CNN has confirmed.

Mohammad Deif, the most wanted man in Israel, was held in the Palestinian Authority's Preventive Security prison for the past seven months.

Deif's Hamas operation, the Izzedine al Qassam Brigade, claimed responsibility for last month's bombing attack on a bus in the north Israeli town of Hadera. In that attack, two Israelis were killed when a car bomb exploded alongside a bus on a busy city street. More than 50 people were wounded.

Deif's Hamas operation has claimed responsibility for several suicide bus bombings in 1996, as well as the kidnappings of several soldiers.

Deif is considered to be an expert in explosives and in recruiting suicide bombers.

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