The Israel Defense Forces immediately arrested the founder of Hamas Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and sentenced him to life in prison for masterminding terrorist attacks.

At about 4:30 am, 13 December 1992, a squad of Hamas militants kidnapped 29-year-old Israeli border policeman Senior Sergeant Nissim Toledano in Lod, as he walked from his home to attend his administrative job.

In order to deepen the damage to Hamas' infrastructure and to its members, Israel decided, in an unprecedented step, to expel hundreds of Palestinian militants to Lebanon for a period of two years.

To this end, on 17 December 1992, Israel expelled 415 leading figures of Hamas and Islamic Jihad to Marj al-Zohour in southern Lebanon, beyond the Israeli Security Zone.

[6][7] Among the more prominent deportees were Mahmoud al-Zahar, Abd al-Aziz Rantisi, Ismail Haniyeh, Said Siam Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil, Abbedallah Qawasameh, Aziz Duwaik, and Nayef Rajoub.

The planned deportation gained wide media coverage, which led the Lebanese authorities to prepare in advance for the event.