Just after a stabbing attack was prevented this morning in Jerusalem, it was announced that a kidnapping of soldiers was averted last month.
An Arab terrorist attempted to stab a National Parks Authority inspector near the Mount of Olives on Sunday morning. The designated victim was not hurt, and was able to pull out his gun and overcome the terrorist. Border Guard policemen arrived on the scene and arrested the attacker.
The incident occurred near Yad Avshalom, the Tomb of King David's son Absalom, between the Temple Mount and Mt. of Olives.
Just this past Thursday, 86-year-old Avraham Ozeri was stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem. The killer also stabbed and wounded a policeman before being captured by a Jerusalem City inspector and another citizen.
Tunnel Kidnapping Thwarted
Shortly after the near-stabbing in Yad Avshalom, it was announced that the General Security Service (Shabak) had arrested an Arab infiltrator on a mission to kidnap IDF soldiers. The arrested terrorist, of the Gaza-Egypt border town of Rafah, had infiltrated into Israel from Egypt, and was arrested a month ago.
He said during his interrogation that he had been sent by senior Hamas leaders in Gaza on a mission to kidnap Israeli soldiers and smuggle them back to Gaza. He had entered Egypt from Gaza via a tunnel along the Philadelphi Route, and remained in the Sinai Desert for several weeks to prepare for the mission.
His plan, as described to the Shabak interrogators, was to draw Israeli soldiers towards the Gaza-Israel border in the framework of a drugs deal. The terrorists - the one who was arrested and an accomplice who was to arrive from Egypt on the day of the attack - were to then drug the soldiers, put them to sleep, and drag them through a tunnel to Gaza.
When the would-be kidnapping terrorist was arrested, he was in fact found to have knock-out pills in his possession.
GSS officials emphasize that the attack was planned during the ceasefire period, during which Hamas has obligated itself to avoid all terrorist activity against Israel.