Traffic jams began Sunday morning in central Israel as the police announced a search for one or more terrorists just south of Tel Aviv. By 10:30 a.m., the police announced the arrest of four Arabs and the removal of the high alert.
The story began at 9:30 Sunday morning when the police announced that, in light of intelligence warnings of a likely terrorist infiltration, they were searching for one or more terrorists just south of Tel Aviv. They instated surprise checkpoints in central Israel and in the Sharon area, with the searches concentrating in the cities of Holon and Bat Yam. Traffic jams and congestion quickly developed on the main Ayalon Highway in the Tel Aviv region.
An hour later, the high alert was removed, following the arrest of four Arabs from Palestinian Authority-controlled areas who were reported to be in Israel illegally.
A similar police search in Hadera last week turned out to be a false alarm. It was based not on intelligence information, but rather on bystanders who reported seeing a suspicious woman dressed as a terrorist and carrying a bag.
Police on Alert
The police have been on high alert for the past few days in light of Hizbullah warnings that it would avenge the killing of its number-2 man, Imad Mughniyeh. The arch-terrorist, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans and Israelis, was assassinated in his car in Damascus several weeks ago.
Hizbullah chieftain Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel last week that it would avenge the killing, and boasted that the Israelis were scared. He released the taped speech from his bunker, in which he has been hiding for weeks in fear that Israel would kill him next.
Israel has denied involvement in the killing of Mughniyeh.
Bat Yam, A Year Ago
In February 2007, a massive Bat Yam manhunt for a suspected terrorist ended with the arrest of a PA resident hiding in an apartment - and with the killing by Israeli forces the next day of the Islamic Jihad mastermind of the plot to bomb the Tel Aviv bus station.