Hamas has carried out the largest number of suicide bombing attacks of all the Palestinian terrorist organizations: 58 attacks, or about 40% of the total. The PIJ has carried out 39, or about 27% of the total. The various Fatah factions have carried out 33, or about 23% of the total. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has carried out 8 attacks. Eight attacks were joint operations between two or more terrorist organizations, including between Islamic and secular organizations. Only one suicide bomber attempted to carry out a suicide bombing attack on his own initiative.

However, during the past year (under Abu Mazen and during the lull) there has been a marked increase in the activity of the PIJ, which as become the organization most active in carrying out suicide bombing attacks. During 2005 it was responsible for five deadly suicide bombing attacks as opposed to two by Hamas (one in January, before the lull).

Syria and Iran are the most important patrons of the terrorist organizations carrying out suicide bombing attacks. They support them in a variety of ways: Syria allows Hamas and the PIJ to act from its territory. The headquarters of these two organizations are established in Damascus and they use Syria as a base from which to orchestrate their terrorist activities, including suicide bombing attacks, and transmit know-how and weapons to the PA-administered territories. Syria and Lebanon also allow the organizations' terrorist-operatives to train in their territory. Iran allocates funds to encourage terrorism which it then either transmits to the terrorist organizations directly, or through the Iranian Revolutionary Guards13 or through Hezbollah.

The Palestinian National Authority
Preventive Security Headquarters
General Staff To: Brother President, Abu 'Amar [Yasser Arafat], may Allah preserve him
Blessings of the homeland
In re: The opposition parties are working energetically to increase joint action
According to information in our hands, intensive meetings are being held in Damascus attended by the leaders of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front [for the Liberation of Palestine] and Hezbollah to increase joint action "inside" [i.e., the PA-administered territories] with financial aid from Iran. That was after a message was sent from Iran to the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leadership stating that no calm was to be permitted [in the situation] during the present time. Hezbollah will increase its financial aid to escalate [violence] in the near future. What is now required [from the opposition parties] is to carry out suicide bombing attacks against Israeli targets in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and inside Israel.
Blessings of the revolution
Your brother
Jibril Rajoub

[Comments hand-written by Arafat:]

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