14 April, 2004
Terrorist attacks recently thwarted

1. Last night (13 April) Israeli security forces uncovered an extensive Palestinian arms smuggling network and seized a large quantities of arms, including 140 Kalachnikov assault rifles, two RPG (Rocket Powered Grenade) launchers, six RPGs, dozens of rifle magazines and hundreds of bullets.
2. In light of this, and numerous other Palestinian terrorist operations, which were thwarted in the last few weeks, the following points should be considered:
   • The clear goal of the terrorist organizations is to continue to pursue an ongoing effort to escalate terror and violence.
   • The various terrorist organizations have had difficulty in achieving this goal solely because of the intensive activities of Israel's security forces, which have employed a wide range of measures to frustrate and thwart attempts at terrorist actions.
   • Israel's conclusion that there is presently no partner for political negotiations on the Palestinian side is based on the evidence of rampant terrorism detailed below, which speaks for itself. The Palestinian Authority (PA) has made no effort to combat terrorist - which it has committed itself to do in all the agreements it has signed with Israel in the past. On the contrary, hatred, incitement, terror, violence and murder continue to occupy a central place and to constitute a fundamental ethos in Palestinian political culture.
   • Palestinian terrorist organizations continue to consider violence
   • such as the murder of innocent Israelis children - a legitimate means to achieve their goals. The PA ignores its obligation to fighting and prevent this phenomenon, and instead, lends a hand to the perpetuation of the violence.
   • Palestinian terror has no political plan or vision based on the desire to reach a solution involving historical, pragmatic, realistic and fair compromise. The terrorist organizations promise the Palestinian people only more violence and murder.
   • Only a total, unequivocal and enduring renunciation of terrorism can pave the way for a political solution based upon compromise, a solution to which Israel sincerely aspires.
3. Following is a detailed report of attacks intended to be perpetrated in the last few weeks, which Israeli security forces succeeded in thwarting: Details of the terrorist attacks that were thwarted by the Israeli security forces in the last few weeks
   • A triple suicide bombing in an Israeli city
   In a joint operation, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad of Gaza planned to dispatch three suicide bombers to Israel armed with explosive belts. This attack was foiled by the arrest, on 5 April of Said Salah, 19, from Jabaliya. Salah told Israeli investigators that he was supposed to infiltrate into Egypt through a tunnel, together with two other suicide terrorists, and from there to enter Israel through the Sinai and participate in a triple suicide attack in one of Israel's larger cities. Salah also said that three powerful explosive belts were prepared for the attack, and that the terrorists intended to disguise themselves as IDF soldiers.
   • An attack planned for Tel Aviv or Beer Sheba
   Two members of the Islamic Jihad- Mahmud Abu Isha, 21, from Nussierat, and Ali Haj, 22, from Imadan - were arrested on 5 April at the Rafiah crossing while attempting to enter Egypt from Gaza. They stated during questioning, they said that they had been trained to perpetrate an attack and were supposed to enter Egypt through the Rafiah crossing. From Egypt, they were to infiltrate Israeli territory through the Sinai and to carry out a gun and grenade attack either in Tel Aviv or in Beer Sheba.
   • A suicide attack against a restaurant in Israel
   Intelligence was received in March 2004 concerning plans by members of the Tanzim (the armed wing of Arafat's Fatah) and the Islamic Jihad in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus to carry out a suicide attack in a restaurant in Israel. The terrorists involved are: Ibrahim Mohamed Mahmud Hashash of the Tanzim, and Muhanid Mahmud Mohamed Abu-Isha of the Islamic Jihad.The attack was foiled in a joint operation of the security forces. On 15 March 2004, the forces arrested Mutakal Ismail Shouhana, 20, from Talat village (near Qalqilya), who was supposed to transport the suicide terrorist.On 5 April, the terrorist himself was arrested - Tamr Masoud Said Hawira, 16, from Nablus. During questioning, he revealed that a bag containing 25 kilos of explosives had been prepared for him to carry in the attack.
   • An attack on a bus near Emmanuel
   At the end of March 2004, intelligence was received concerning a plan by members of the Tanzim in Nablus
   • Imad Mazuz Ali Akuba and Naif Fathi Naif Abu-Sharah - to carry out a gun and grenade attack on a bus in Emmanuel.
   The terrorists planned to commit the attack on 24 March 2004, but were prevented by IDF activities in the area. In the course of their activities, soldiers arrested Rami Fatah Hafez Abdallah, 24, of Amatin (near Qalqilya), who was responsible for transporting the perpetrator. Rami revealed to Israeli investigators that the terrorist was Jarib Mohamed Ibrahim Shami, 25, of Nablus. He also turned over the weapons to be used for the attack - a Kalachnikov rifle, four magazines, and grenades. The investigation revealed that the organization was planning additional attacks including the kidnapping of an Israeli in the area of Funduq village, the placing of a roadside bomb on the Qalqilya-Nablus road, the planting of a bomb inside a dead donkey, and a suicide attack inside Israel, using a bomb containing AIDS-contaminated blood.
   • A woman suicide bomber targeting Tel Aviv
   Intelligence reports indicated that a 25-year-old woman from Balata refugee camp in Nablus, Tehani Zaki Ali Halil, was recruited to carry out a suicide attack. After being accused of infidelity, she was persuaded to volunteer to carry out an attack in order to clear her name and save family honor. On 18 March 2004, Tehani was arrested at a roadblock on her way to Nablus. Questioning revealed that she was recruited by senior Tanzim members in Balata - Hashem Daoud Shatiwi Abu Hamdan and Nader Mahmud Abed el-Hafiz Abu-Layl. She also stated that at the time she was caught, she was checking her ability to pass through roadblocks. The target of the planned attack was Tel Aviv.
   • A 19 year girl recruited for suicide mission
   Ramah Abed el-Majid Hasan Habaib, 19, from Nablus, arrested on 23 March 2004, admitted during questioning that she was instructed by the Nablus Tanzim to carry out a suicide attack after she had been pressured into volunteering, due to accusations of immoral behavior prior to her marriage.
   • A series of suicide attacks against checkpoints in the vicinity of Nablus:
   From 28 March to 11 April 2004, there was a series of attempts to dispatch suicide terrorists to IDF checkpoints in the vicinity of Nablus. The main targets were the checkpoints in Hawara, Beit Iba and Qusin. A senior member of the Tanzim in Nablus with connections to the Hizbullah in Lebanon, Ismail Fiad Majd Haraz, was in charge of coordinating the attacks. The job of implementing the attacks was given to members of the Tanzim in Nablus - Majdi Mohamed Mohamed Marai and Nadr Ibrahim Rada Aswad. The Israeli security forces thwarted the attempts to carry out the attacks and arrested some ten members involved in the plans, including three potential suicide bombers. Questioning revealed that the attacks were planned by a complex, well-coordinated network that helped to locate and recruit suicide bombers, hide arms and ammunition, and recruit subordinates to transport the terrorists to their targets. A number of potential suicide bombers were discovered in the network, among them minors. This is the same network that recently made headlines for using children for terrorist attacks: on 15 March, they attempted to smuggle explosives through the Hawara checkpoint by means of a 10-year-old boy, Abdullah Quran (the explosives were seized and detonated in a controlled explosion); and, on 24 March, they sent a 16-year-old boy who looked younger than his age, Hussam Mohamed Husni Abdu of Nablus, to blow himself up near the soldiers and civilians at the checkpoint (Hussam was caught, and the explosive belt he carried was removed and detonated by sappers). Hussam told investigators that he was brought to the checkpoint by Ta'ar Ahsan Husni Titi and Nasser Mohamed Adel Awartani, both 16 years old, Tanzim members from Nablus. Titi and Awartani were later arrested.
4. The following summary provides insight into the intensity of the Palestinian terrorist activity in recent weeks, which, in the absence of all PA counter-terrorist measures, Israeli security forces are forced to address on an ongoing basis. Annex: Summary of Operations and Events of the Week 1-8 April 2004 Judea and Samaria During the course of the week, about 100 people on the security forces' wanted list were arrested. In addition, there were 12 shooting incidents and 10 roadside bombs activated against IDF forces, as follows:
   
   Thursday, 1 April 2004

• In a joint IDF-ISA (Israel Defense Forces - Israel Security Agency) early-morning operation near the Dehaishe refugee camp in Bethlehem, 12 people were arrested, mostly members of Tanzim, some of them officers in the Palestinian security apparatus. The men, who were hiding in a psychiatric hospital, were all on the Israeli wanted list and were involved in planning and executing terrorist attacks. In the early morning hours, soldiers called on the men to and leave the building and turn themselves in. Their response was to open fire. At the end of an exchange of fire, the wanted men surrendered. In their possession were found three pistols and a rifle.
• In the course of IDF activity in a village southwest of Jenin, forces discovered and detonated two anti-tank mines.
• IDF forces in Nablus discovered and detonated a roadside bomb. The forces were also fired upon, with no injuries.
  
  Friday, 2 April 2004
• A terrorist threw a firebomb at IDF soldiers near Rachel's Tomb. The soldiers returned fire and hit the terrorist.
  
  Saturday, 3 April 2004
  
  
• One Israeli was murdered and another (his daughter) wounded by a terrorist in the Jewish village, Avnei Hefez. The wounded was taken to hospital.
  The terrorist, armed with a Kalachnikov rifle, tried to break into a number of houses in the settlement. At one house, the father came outside armed with a pistol. The terrorist opened fire into the house and wounded one of the daughters. Then, he shot and mortally wounded the father. The latter was treated at the site, but died of his wounds. IDF soldiers arrived, identified the terrorist, opened fire towards him and killed him.
• In a joint IDF-ISA operation in Nablus, 26 wanted men were arrested, including Hamas members who were transferred for interrogation by the ISA. Recently, organization members have begun to operate in cooperation with the Tanzim in Nablus, with an emphasis on planning joint attacks against targets inside Israel and in Judea and Samaria, as well as transporting roadside bombs.
• IDF forces operating in Nablus came under shooting and (three) bomb attacks. There were no injuries. In one incident, soldiers identified a terrorist armed with a Kalachnikov rifle, opened fire and wounded him.
• An IDF force arrested two terrorists near Highway 443, with firebombs in their possession. They also had spikes and a tire that they had intended to put on the road.
  
  Sunday, 4 April 2004
  
  
• An IDF force in the vicinity of the Tulkarm refugee camp identified two armed terrorists, opened fire and wounded them. There were no injuries to the IDF soldiers.
• An Israeli soldier was lightly wounded from fire directed at an IDF force near Kadim, a Jewish village in northern Samaria.
  
  Tuesday, 6 April 2004
  
  
• A terrorist threw a bomb at an IDF force in Nablus. The bomb exploded near the terrorist, injuring him. No soldiers were wounded.
  
  Wednesday, 7 April 2004
  
  
• IDF soldiers identified an armed terrorist in the Casba in Nablus, opened fire and wounded him. Also, a terrorist hurled a firebomb towards the soldiers, who opened fire and hit the terrorist in the leg.
  
  The Gaza Strip
  
  During the course of the week, three anti-tank missiles were launched, four roadside bombs were discovered, and there were more than 15 shooting incidents against Israeli soldiers, posts, and settlements, as follows:
  
  Friday, 2 April 2004
  
  
• IDF forces noticed two suspicious figures approaching within meters of the security fence in the center of the Gaza Strip, where all traffic is forbidden. The force identified the figures, opened fire, and hit one of them. Area searches revealed near the body of one of the terrorists two wire-activated bombs, each one weighing 30 kilos. Border Police sappers detonated the bombs in a controlled explosion.
• Israeli soldiers identified an armed terrorist moving along the Karni-Netzarim road. The forces opened fire, hitting the target. In area searches conducted later, soldiers found the body and rifle of the terrorist.
  
  Saturday, 3 April 2004
  
  
• A joint IDF-Border Police force in Rafah discovered an arms-smuggling tunnel dug under cover of a dwelling. The tunnel was 500 meters long and about 20 meters deep. Seditious and inciting publications were also found in the tunnel. The tunnel was demolished in a controlled explosion. During the operation, the forces identified a terrorist throwing a bomb at them. The forces opened fire and identified a hit. There were no injuries to the soldiers.
  
  Monday, 5 April 2004
  
  
• A joint IDF-Border Police force operating near Rafah discovered an arms-smuggling tunnel 8 meters deep. The tunnel was demolished in a controlled explosion.