Palmachim Beach
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A third barrel packed with explosives has been found - the latest one near the beach at Palmachim, some 15 km south of Tel Aviv. The barrel was discovered by security personnel who have been combing Israel's beaches since two explosive barrels washed up Monday to the beaches north of Gaza.

 

Police bomb squads arrived at HaTzuk Beach at Palmachim and neutralized the explosive barrel, while other security forces sealed off the beach to citizens.



Three leading terrorist groups - Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees, and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades - released a joint statement claiming responsibility for the barrels.



Later on Wednesday, citizens alerted police to a suspicious object at the Netanya beach, which turned out to be part of buoy that kept the barrels afloat.



On Monday morning, citizens who were at Barne'a beach in Ashkelon called police when they found a suspicious barrel that had washed up to shore. The place was sealed off to civilians and emergency crews were deployed. Police bomb squads determined that the barrel contained explosives.    



A similar barrel was discovered off the Arches Beach at Ashdod later Monday. Police said the barrels contained 15 to 25 kg of explosives and could have cause a great deal of damage. Security forces said the barrels were set afloat as a terrorist act, possibly with the aid of Gazan fishing boats.



IAF jets bombed several targets in Gaza Tuesday in retaliation for the terrorist attempt. Two tunnels that serve the Hamas terror group were bombed. One tunnel was intended for a terrorist act and another was being used for smuggling weapons.

The attacks were also in retaliation for 19 rocket attacks from Gaza against Israel in the past month.