Israeli security forces succeeded in thwarting ten terror attacks over the Passover holiday, officials said today. Tanzim members based in Nablus planned to include AIDS-infected blood in an explosive belt worn by a suicide bomber. Other terrorists planned to perpetrate a triple suicide bombing by infiltrating into Israel from Sinai. Yesterday, two terrorists were shot dead when they tried to infiltrate into Netzarim.
Shin Bet security officials described the situation over Passover as one of "imaginary calm." They noted that the ongoing closure imposed on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip had hampered the terrorists' efforts to perpetrate attacks, but also said that the intensive efforts of security forces had succeeded in thwarting many terror attempts. Army Radio reported this morning that there were still some 60 warnings of possible terror attacks in effect.
The recent arrest of Rami Hafez Abdullah, 24, a resident of a village in the Kalkilya area, revealed that the Fatah Tanzim infrastructure in Nablus had planned to launch a suicide attack in Israel with a bomb tainted with AIDS-infected blood.
"The terrorist cell apparently planned to obtain contaminated blood from some Palestinian hospitals but they had not passed the preliminary stage in their preparations," a spokeswoman for the Shin Bet security service said.
A Magen David Adom paramedic told Army Radio today that rescue workers are prepared for possible terror attacks involving tainted blood, and always wear gloves when handling the victims of terror attacks.
The Nablus cell is reportedly led by Isma'il Haraz, who security officials said gets his orders and funding from Hizbullah in Lebanon. The same cell is responsible for the dispatch of numerous child bombers and bomb couriers over recent weeks, officials said.
The Nablus cell also planned to hide a bomb inside the carcass of a donkey, and to kidnap a Jewish settler in the Nablus area, according to the officials.
Meanwhile, Tanzim terrorists aided by both Hamas and Islamic Jihad planned to carry out a simultaneous triple suicide bombing in Israel. One of the would-be bombers, Said Salah, 19, from the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza, told his interrogators that he had planned to cross into Egypt through a tunnel from Rafiah, and then infiltrate into Israel from the Sinai, together with two other bombers. The three, whose explosive belts were already ready, were to disguise themselves as IDF soldiers.
At the end of March, a 25-year-old woman from the Balata refugee camp in Nablus was arrested on suspicion of planning a suicide bombing attack in Tel Aviv. According to media reports, the woman was ordered to carry out the bombing after she was discovered cheating on her husband.
Another woman from Nablus, 19, was also recently arrested. She had been ordered to carry out a suicide bombing attack after her family discovered she had been romantically involved before her marriage, Haaretz reported.
8 Terrorists Involved in Netzarim Attack
Israeli soldiers shot and killed two Palestinian terrorists and wounded a third when they tried to infiltrate into the Gaza Strip settlement of Netzarim early Monday morning. Security officials said a total of eight terrorists were involved in the attack, which represented an unusually high level of coordination and planning.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Office, soldiers from the Shimshon Battalion identified an armed terrorist approaching the Netzarim greenhouses in the cover of thick fog just before 5:30 a.m. Monday morning, opened fire at him and killed him.
Simultaneously, two other terrorists approached the western post of the community, opened fire and threw hand grenades at the post. The soldiers in the post returned fire at the terrorists, and managed to kill one of them and injure another, the IDF said.
In addition, terrorists fired mortar shells and gunfire at the settlement at the same time with the infiltration attempt. The IDF said the coordinated attack attempt was staged by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah terrorists working together.
The body of one of the terrorists was later found in the community's greenhouse, armed with an AK47 assault rifle, four hand grenades and five magazines. In addition, next to the western post of the community, soldiers uncovered an AK47 assault rifle and four magazines.
web.israelinsider.com/bin/en.jsp?enPage=ArticlePage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=obE-mail this article