Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the Israel Defense Forces
to impose a complete closure on all Palestinian areas in the
territories on Monday evening due to serious warnings of
attempts to carry out terror attacks. The closure was
expected to remain in place through Friday this week. Such
complete closures are usually imposed only for elections,
Independence Day and very serious occasions. All
Palestinians, including those with special entry permits, are
prohibited from entering Israeli territory.
Mofaz's decision comes in contrast to reports last Sunday
that authorities were planning to ease restrictions on
Palestinians prior to Id al-Adha, a major Muslim feast which
began Tuesday. Earlier thousands were allowed to travel to
Saudi Arabia in honor of the feast, and sheep were imported
specially for the occasion.
On Monday in a Ramallah hotel, the IDF arrested a would-be
terrorist. Soldiers found the would-be suicide bomber's 20-
kilogram (45 pound) explosive belt ready for use and hidden
in a suitcase under a stairwell. Most suicide bombs are much
smaller and 10 kilograms is considered a very large one. In
addition, two Palestinians, including a senior member of the
militant Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were
killed in clashes with Israeli security forces.
The IDF reported that Islamic groups have intensified their
efforts to carry out terror attacks this week. Security
forces have received an unprecedented number of serious
warnings. As of late Monday, the Shin Bet had received 48
active alerts of potential attacks. Security sources said
most of the cells were working on attacks inside Israel. In
addition, there is evidence that they are working on mega-
attacks -- high-profile strikes designed to cause large
numbers of casualties and to damage sensitive and symbolic
targets. Most of the alerts refer to Islamic Jihad or Hamas
cells, but there are also alerts referring to the Popular
Front and even Fatah.
Following the Ramallah capture, police at first lowered the
security alert that was in place on Monday morning. The
expectation was that restrictions would be eased for the
Muslim holiday. However later that day the complete closure
was imposed.
Army officials have suggested that the rise in attempted
attacks may be due to an attempt by Islamic groups to disrupt
reported high-level contacts between the Palestinian
Authority and Israeli officials prior to forming a new
government. Perhaps the terrorists anticipated the easing of
security for the holiday and planned their operations for
then. Last week a bomb was found in a mosque in Taibeh, an
Israeli Arab city.
Another factor may be the impending U.S. attack on Iraq. A
senior defense source said that Iraq and Iran have recently
pressed militants in the territories to initiate major
attacks.
In the Gaza Strip, troops arrested a Palestinian armed with
fragmentation grenades as he was on his way to carrying out
an attack. A few hours later, soldiers shot dead a
Palestinian terrorist in the same location. Three explosive
devices were found on his body.
Additionally an IDF source said Imad al-Mabruk was shot dead
while trying to escape arrest in Ein Beit Elma refugee camp
near Nablus. Palestinian security officials said Mabruk
belonged to the armed wing of the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine.
"He was involved in terrorist attacks and made bombs," the
Israeli spokesman said. "He fled arrest and was shot and
killed after he ignored orders to stop." A PFLP leader in the
Nablus area called the killing an "assassination" and, as
usual, "vowed to retaliate."
Israeli analysts said that their success rate against suicide
bombers has been very high lately. They have been able
(bechasdei Shomayim) to stop about 95 percent of the
attempts. Last year their success rate was only about 60
percent. They are hopeful that this and other measures will
put pressure on the Palestinians to abandon violence.
Public Security Minister Uzi Landau said Tuesday that what he
called Israel's "strong-arm" policies against the
Palestinians were bearing fruit in reducing violence, and
that Israeli attempts to ease the plight of the residents of
the West Bank and Gaza had "gone on the rocks" in failure.
A number of Gaza landlords ordered the metalworkers to leave
their rented workspaces following IDF helicopter attacks in
which such shops were targeted and destroyed. In many cases,
the metalworkers maintained to reporters that their workshops
were producing articles intended for civilian use though that
could not be confirmed. The IDF did not release its
evidence.
Landau also cited a hard line as responsible for recent
successes in foiling suicide bombings.
