Thousands of police, soldiers and security guards are manning checkpoints throughout the country, as the high security alert continues. Heavy traffic is again the order of the day in the Sharon area. Hundreds of reserve soldiers are expected to be called up for emergency stints of 24 days.
It was announced last night that the Shabak (General Security Service) had thwarted a plot by Hevron Hamas terrorists to perpetrate multiple suicide bombing attacks in Jerusalem over the past few days. The intense terror alert in the capital led to the discovery of three explosives belts in a butcher shop in the Jerusalem-area Arab village of Azzariya. The shop was destroyed when IDF forces detonated the three powerful bombs. The terrorists had planned to transport the bombs camouflaged inside a "new washing machine" delivery. A fourth attack was thwarted on Friday when security forces apprehended a terrorist who planned a shooting spree.
Two more attacks were thwarted in the Kalandia area of northern Jerusalem. IDF forces first arrested Ali Farad of Shechem, a Hamas terrorist who planned to carry out a suicide attack in the "immediate" future. Later this morning, an Arab woman approached two volunteer soldiers - a male and a female - at the Kalandia checkpoint and tried to stab them with a long knife. The soldiers apprehended her and were not hurt.
For the first time in six days, Hizbullah fired anti-aircraft fire towards Kiryat Shmonah today, even though no Israeli aircraft were in the area. Some 150 Arabs are rioting outside Kfar Darom in Gaza, including throwing stones; army soldiers are on hand, and refrained from shooting for a long while in order not to bring about an "escalation," but were finally forced to fire low-velocity rubber bullets in order to restore order. Five Arabs were lightly hurt, as were four Israelis.
It was announced last night that the Shabak (General Security Service) had thwarted a plot by Hevron Hamas terrorists to perpetrate multiple suicide bombing attacks in Jerusalem over the past few days. The intense terror alert in the capital led to the discovery of three explosives belts in a butcher shop in the Jerusalem-area Arab village of Azzariya. The shop was destroyed when IDF forces detonated the three powerful bombs. The terrorists had planned to transport the bombs camouflaged inside a "new washing machine" delivery. A fourth attack was thwarted on Friday when security forces apprehended a terrorist who planned a shooting spree.
Two more attacks were thwarted in the Kalandia area of northern Jerusalem. IDF forces first arrested Ali Farad of Shechem, a Hamas terrorist who planned to carry out a suicide attack in the "immediate" future. Later this morning, an Arab woman approached two volunteer soldiers - a male and a female - at the Kalandia checkpoint and tried to stab them with a long knife. The soldiers apprehended her and were not hurt.
For the first time in six days, Hizbullah fired anti-aircraft fire towards Kiryat Shmonah today, even though no Israeli aircraft were in the area. Some 150 Arabs are rioting outside Kfar Darom in Gaza, including throwing stones; army soldiers are on hand, and refrained from shooting for a long while in order not to bring about an "escalation," but were finally forced to fire low-velocity rubber bullets in order to restore order. Five Arabs were lightly hurt, as were four Israelis.