The head of the Hamas armed forces, Mohammad Deif, escaped from a Palestinian prison on December 1st. Deif is the most wanted man in Israel and had been held by the Palestinians for seven months as part of the Palestinian pledge to reduce terrorism against Israelis. With Deif free, such terrorism is likely to increase. Israel has arrested over 500 Palestinians since the uprising began. The Israelis only arrest those who appear to be leading or coordinating the violence against Israelis. Meanwhile, the frequent closure of the Palestinian areas has hurt the Israeli economy, keeping many Palestinians from work in Israel. Since this appears to be a long term situation, Israel is preparing to bring in foreign workers from non-Arab nations. In Jordan, a second Israeli diplomat was shot and wounded.
