Hezbollah terrorist who attempted 1996 Jerusalem suicide attack dies in Lebanon

Hussein Maqdad, a Hezbollah Unit 1800 member who attempted a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in 1996, has died in Lebanon. Maqdad was dispatched by Imad Mughniyeh and infiltrated Israel through Ben Gurion Airport on April 4, 1996, using a forged British passport with explosives concealed in a radio device. On April 12, while preparing the device at the Lawrence Hotel in Jerusalem, it exploded prematurely, severely injuring him. He stated his target was Shimon Peres. Maqdad was imprisoned in Israel and released in 1998 in exchange for the body of Shayetet 13 commando Itamar Ilia. He subsequently served as a Hezbollah public relations activist.