While most Israelis spent a thankfully-quiet Independence Day holiday in parks or their backyards, the IDF carried on as usual defending them. Last night soldiers thwarted an attempted terrorist attack in the isolated Gaza community of Netzarim. The forces identified several armed terrorists on their way towards the community and shot at them. At least one was hit, and the others managed to escape.
Earlier in the day, terrorists attempted to sneak out from Gaza to the Kibbutz Nachal Oz area near the Karni Crossing. IDF soldiers fired on the Arabs, a gun battle erupted, and the terrorists escaped back into PLO-controlled Gaza. Searches conducted afterwards in the vicinity of the attempted infiltration revealed a number of gun magazines and an explosive charge. A bomb went off in the same area today; no one was hurt… An Israeli soldier was lightly wounded today when a firebomb was thrown at him in Azariya, just south of Jerusalem.
On Tuesday, IDF soldiers discovered a powerful pipe bomb in the Omar Mosque located near Bethlehem\'s Church of the Nativity Compound. Sappers neutralized the device in a controlled explosion. The IDF spokesman says that the incident \"is another example of the cynical use of holy places by Palestinian terrorists\" (see below). Earlier in the day, forces conducting searches in a Ramallah apartment found two explosive belts, to be used in suicide attacks against Israelis.
Motorists in and around Be\'er Sheva, capital of Israel\'s southern region, faced huge traffic jams at the entrances to the city today. Police set up roadblocks to carefully monitor traffic in light of intelligence warnings of possible terrorist attacks.
Earlier in the day, terrorists attempted to sneak out from Gaza to the Kibbutz Nachal Oz area near the Karni Crossing. IDF soldiers fired on the Arabs, a gun battle erupted, and the terrorists escaped back into PLO-controlled Gaza. Searches conducted afterwards in the vicinity of the attempted infiltration revealed a number of gun magazines and an explosive charge. A bomb went off in the same area today; no one was hurt… An Israeli soldier was lightly wounded today when a firebomb was thrown at him in Azariya, just south of Jerusalem.
On Tuesday, IDF soldiers discovered a powerful pipe bomb in the Omar Mosque located near Bethlehem\'s Church of the Nativity Compound. Sappers neutralized the device in a controlled explosion. The IDF spokesman says that the incident \"is another example of the cynical use of holy places by Palestinian terrorists\" (see below). Earlier in the day, forces conducting searches in a Ramallah apartment found two explosive belts, to be used in suicide attacks against Israelis.
Motorists in and around Be\'er Sheva, capital of Israel\'s southern region, faced huge traffic jams at the entrances to the city today. Police set up roadblocks to carefully monitor traffic in light of intelligence warnings of possible terrorist attacks.