IDF officials have confirmed reports that motorized hang gliders were found amidst the rubble of the PA\'s Hevron headquarters. IDF combat engineers destroyed the PA structure shortly before midnight on Friday, using at least two tons of explosives, and the army resumed searching the rubble this morning. The British originally built the large three-story building in 1936, and Israel used it for its regional military command between 1967 and 1997.
It is assumed that the 15 terrorists who had holed up in the building, and whose surrender Israel had demanded, escaped via underground tunnels. Some 150 other terrorists in the building had surrendered in the previous days. Israel Television reported that the past few days of anti-terrorism activity in Hevron had netted the army the confiscation of some 5,000 guns.
Terrorism continues in Gaza: An Israeli motorist was targeted by gunfire near Kisufim in Gush Katif early this morning... Four mortar shells were fired at Jewish communities in southern Gush Katif in two separate attacks during the night… Arabs fired at IDF soldiers on Friday night north of the Karni Checkpoint; soldiers returned fire. No one was hurt in these incidents.
Security forces arrested four terrorist suspects last night in Ramallah and Kalkilye, five more in Azoun in the Shomron, and a leading Hamas terrorist in Hevron, and yet another one near Tul Karem. In the course of the past month, 40 PA residents have been arrested on suspicion of stealing Israeli cars and taking them to PA autonomous areas; 200 stolen vehicles were also recovered during the month. Some of the suspects in custody are members of Yasser Arafat\'s security forces. A wanted terrorist fugitive was seriously wounded in a shoot-out with Israeli forces in Shechem this afternoon.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said today that the defense establishment is preparing to gradually release the curfews in the PA-controlled cities. \"Israel has no intention of effecting a military administration in these areas,\" he said, adding that he has instructed the army to do everything to make things easier for the population and to allow them access to food and other supplies.
It is assumed that the 15 terrorists who had holed up in the building, and whose surrender Israel had demanded, escaped via underground tunnels. Some 150 other terrorists in the building had surrendered in the previous days. Israel Television reported that the past few days of anti-terrorism activity in Hevron had netted the army the confiscation of some 5,000 guns.
Terrorism continues in Gaza: An Israeli motorist was targeted by gunfire near Kisufim in Gush Katif early this morning... Four mortar shells were fired at Jewish communities in southern Gush Katif in two separate attacks during the night… Arabs fired at IDF soldiers on Friday night north of the Karni Checkpoint; soldiers returned fire. No one was hurt in these incidents.
Security forces arrested four terrorist suspects last night in Ramallah and Kalkilye, five more in Azoun in the Shomron, and a leading Hamas terrorist in Hevron, and yet another one near Tul Karem. In the course of the past month, 40 PA residents have been arrested on suspicion of stealing Israeli cars and taking them to PA autonomous areas; 200 stolen vehicles were also recovered during the month. Some of the suspects in custody are members of Yasser Arafat\'s security forces. A wanted terrorist fugitive was seriously wounded in a shoot-out with Israeli forces in Shechem this afternoon.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said today that the defense establishment is preparing to gradually release the curfews in the PA-controlled cities. \"Israel has no intention of effecting a military administration in these areas,\" he said, adding that he has instructed the army to do everything to make things easier for the population and to allow them access to food and other supplies.