The IDF continues to strike out at individual terrorist leaders. An undercover unit abducted Islamic Jihad agent Yusuf Salameh Kabasheh from a PA-controlled village near Hevron this morning. Arabs in the area reported that the soldiers arrived at Kabasheh\'s house in a white Ford van. Kabasheh was among those whom Israel expelled to Lebanon in the 1980\'s and then allowed to return. Last night, senior terrorist Aiman Halaweh was killed when his car blew up in the middle of Shechem. Known as Engineer Number 3, he constructed the explosive used to murder 21 young Israelis at the Dolphinarium in June, as well as other fatal bombs. In Kalkilyeh, the army razed the home of the suicide terrorist who committed the Dolphinarium attack.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz, speaking with reporters today, said that the army\'s activities in the six PA-controlled cities have been a success. \"We won\'t stay there for a very long period,\" he emphasized, repeating Israeli leaders\' mantra of late, and added his prediction that the Palestinians will continue to try to kill Israeli leaders. \"Our operation has clear goals,\" Mofaz said, \"and our success is measured in those terms: striking down terrorists, preventing terrorists from leaving the areas, and reduction of shooting. These goals are being accomplished... We have hit [killed or wounded] about 20 terrorists, and arrested some 20 more.\" He had strong criticism of the Palestinian Authority, saying, \"The PA\'s actions against terrorism are merely for show, in order to receive a passing grade from the Americans and to be on the \'side of the good guys\' [in the international coalition].\"
The army also demolished a number of empty buildings on the Israeli-Egyptian border last night. The structures had been used for arms smuggling from Egypt to Gaza, and by grenade-throwers against Israeli forces.
Despite the above, Palestinian attacks continued in some places. Two mortar shells fell this morning in the Gush Katif communities, including one that hit a school bus stop but did not explode. An army sapper quickly arrived in order to dismantle it. Palestinian snipers targeted a car driven by an Israeli woman in the N\'vei Dekalim industrial zone this morning; she was not hurt, but the car was damaged. A bomb was discovered and safely neutralized just outside the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv this morning.
A mortar shell hit the northern Negev this afternoon, between Alonim and Kibbutz Sa\'ad… Gunfire was directed at the hothouses of the Gush Katif community of Netzer Hazani… A military vehicle was hit by terrorist gunfire in Jerusalem’s southern Gilo neighborhood a short time ago. No one was hurt in these incidents.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz, speaking with reporters today, said that the army\'s activities in the six PA-controlled cities have been a success. \"We won\'t stay there for a very long period,\" he emphasized, repeating Israeli leaders\' mantra of late, and added his prediction that the Palestinians will continue to try to kill Israeli leaders. \"Our operation has clear goals,\" Mofaz said, \"and our success is measured in those terms: striking down terrorists, preventing terrorists from leaving the areas, and reduction of shooting. These goals are being accomplished... We have hit [killed or wounded] about 20 terrorists, and arrested some 20 more.\" He had strong criticism of the Palestinian Authority, saying, \"The PA\'s actions against terrorism are merely for show, in order to receive a passing grade from the Americans and to be on the \'side of the good guys\' [in the international coalition].\"
The army also demolished a number of empty buildings on the Israeli-Egyptian border last night. The structures had been used for arms smuggling from Egypt to Gaza, and by grenade-throwers against Israeli forces.
Despite the above, Palestinian attacks continued in some places. Two mortar shells fell this morning in the Gush Katif communities, including one that hit a school bus stop but did not explode. An army sapper quickly arrived in order to dismantle it. Palestinian snipers targeted a car driven by an Israeli woman in the N\'vei Dekalim industrial zone this morning; she was not hurt, but the car was damaged. A bomb was discovered and safely neutralized just outside the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv this morning.
A mortar shell hit the northern Negev this afternoon, between Alonim and Kibbutz Sa\'ad… Gunfire was directed at the hothouses of the Gush Katif community of Netzer Hazani… A military vehicle was hit by terrorist gunfire in Jerusalem’s southern Gilo neighborhood a short time ago. No one was hurt in these incidents.