The man who organised the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank was a Hamas leader released as part of the 2011 prisoner swap for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, according to Palestinian security officials.

Abed a-Rahman Ghaminat, the Hamas military commander for Hebron - near where the teenagers were kidnapped - was deported to Gaza after the Shalit deal. More than 1,000 Palestinians were also released in the exchange.

He was also allegedly involved in the killing of IDF soldier Sharon Edri in 1996. A year later he was implicated in the bombing of a Tel Aviv café which killed three women.

Working in Gaza together with another senior Hamas leader, Ayed Dodin, it is claimed that Ghaminat directed terrorist operations taking place in the West Bank. Mr Dodin was also among those freed in exchange for Shalit.

It is thought that the two men co-ordinated with other high-ranking Hamas figures living abroad in Turkey and Qatar, and repeatedly visited both countries over the last two years.