A major terror catastrophe, possibly the worst in Israel\'s history, was miraculously averted this morning - but some officials warn that Israel must respond as if the attempt had been successful. A bomb was detonated under a tanker as the truck was being fueled at the Pi Gelilot fuel depot, Israel\'s largest. The tanker caught fire and was heavily damaged, but the installation\'s fire extinguishing systems went into operation within two minutes and the blaze was quickly put out. No one was hurt. The bomb was detonated by cellular phone, and a second bomb, which did not explode, was also later found on the truck.
The tanker, which had been parked overnight in a guarded gas station in Holon, contained thousands of liters of diesel fuel. Pi Gelilot, in the Herzliya area, is situated near many major highways and homes, and the consequences of a major fire or explosion could have been widespread. The police are investigating the truck\'s route this morning in an attempt to determine when, where and how the bombs were placed.
Calls heard on and off for several years to relocate the fuel depot to less populated areas took on extra urgency today. Northern Tel Aviv and Herzliya schools will not open tomorrow, in protest of the dangers involved in having the fuel depot so close to residential homes. Environment Minister Tzachi HaNegbi says that transferring the installation elsewhere in Israel could be completed in three years. HaNegbi has suggested a temporary solution whereby the large fuel containers would be placed underground until a permanent solution is implemented. It was announced late this afternoon that the Pi Gelilot fuel depot had been closed by municipal administrative order.
Ehud Yatom, who was nominated by Ariel Sharon this year to become director of the Prime Minister\'s Anti-Terrorism Task Force, reacted forcefully to today\\s attempted attack. Speaking with Israel Radio, the former leading General Security Service official said that the terrorists have \"graduated\" to more strategic targets in their quest to kill Jews. He said that it would be a mistake to ignore the attack merely because it did not succeed: \"A near-miss is just as serious as a successful attack,\" he said, noting that a lack of an immediate response by Israel would be a \"clear signal of weakness to the terrorists, and it will increase their motivation to employ non-conventional weapons.\" Yatom said that had the installation caught fire, it could have led to a war in the region. \"Israel must work together with the United States in preparing its reaction,\" Yatom said, \"as the ramifications are world-wide.\"
The tanker, which had been parked overnight in a guarded gas station in Holon, contained thousands of liters of diesel fuel. Pi Gelilot, in the Herzliya area, is situated near many major highways and homes, and the consequences of a major fire or explosion could have been widespread. The police are investigating the truck\'s route this morning in an attempt to determine when, where and how the bombs were placed.
Calls heard on and off for several years to relocate the fuel depot to less populated areas took on extra urgency today. Northern Tel Aviv and Herzliya schools will not open tomorrow, in protest of the dangers involved in having the fuel depot so close to residential homes. Environment Minister Tzachi HaNegbi says that transferring the installation elsewhere in Israel could be completed in three years. HaNegbi has suggested a temporary solution whereby the large fuel containers would be placed underground until a permanent solution is implemented. It was announced late this afternoon that the Pi Gelilot fuel depot had been closed by municipal administrative order.
Ehud Yatom, who was nominated by Ariel Sharon this year to become director of the Prime Minister\'s Anti-Terrorism Task Force, reacted forcefully to today\\s attempted attack. Speaking with Israel Radio, the former leading General Security Service official said that the terrorists have \"graduated\" to more strategic targets in their quest to kill Jews. He said that it would be a mistake to ignore the attack merely because it did not succeed: \"A near-miss is just as serious as a successful attack,\" he said, noting that a lack of an immediate response by Israel would be a \"clear signal of weakness to the terrorists, and it will increase their motivation to employ non-conventional weapons.\" Yatom said that had the installation caught fire, it could have led to a war in the region. \"Israel must work together with the United States in preparing its reaction,\" Yatom said, \"as the ramifications are world-wide.\"