A 5:30 AM wake-up call resounded this morning in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, when Arabs in PLO-controlled Bet Jala opened fire on Jewish homes there. The sporadic shooting continued for the duration of the early hours bringing the morning routine to a halt for thousands of area residents.
A 5:30 AM wake-up call resounded this morning in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, when Arabs in PLO-controlled Bet Jala opened fire on Jewish homes there. The sporadic shooting continued for the duration of the early hours bringing the morning routine to a halt for thousands of area residents. Jerusalem Police Chief Miki Levy said that today is the first time terrorists have shot at Gilo in the morning hours. One civilian was lightly injured in his eyes by shattering glass, and six apartments and several cars were damaged by gunfire. IDF forces responded with automatic weapons fire at the source of the shooting.
Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert called today for a massive ground offensive against the PA to bring an end to the increasingly common terrorist gunfire against Gilo. As we go to press, ground forces accompanied by combat helicopters are amassing in the area of Bet Jala.
On Monday night, IDF soldiers surprised Arabs who were placing two powerful roadside bombs near Gush Katif on Israel’s southern Mediterranean coast. The bombers were apprehended and turned over to the General Security Services (GSS). There were no injuries and IDF officials are calling the operation a major accomplishment.
Also in the southern district, a bomb was detonated against soldiers near Rafiah along the Egyptian border on Monday afternoon. During the night six shooting and grenade attacks were directed at IDF troops there. There were no injuries in any of the incidents.
In the course of the night, shooting was directed at Jewish towns throughout Judea and Samaria as well. The northern Shomron community of Chomesh came under heavy fire, as did the Jewish community of Nokdim, southeast of Jerusalem. Arabs sniped at the southern Hevron Hills community of Beit Chaggai close to midnight, damaging one home. Hevron\'s Jewish community was attacked by gunfire several times during the night from different locations. This morning Efrat\'s northern neighborhood of Givat HaDagan (south of Gilo) was targeted by the terrorist gunfire. There were no injuries reported in any of the incidents, and IDF troops returned fire at the sources of the shooting.
A Fatah terrorist was killed this morning in PLO-controlled Shechem, when the bomb he was preparing exploded prematurely. Officials report that the 19-year-old Arab died instantly.
The Palestinian weekly, Al-Manar (Aug. 13), published an article signed by \"The Palestinian Center for Information Sources-Gaza\", which stated that \"serious thinking has begun about obtaining biological weapons.\" MEMRI provided excerpts from the article: \"A few bombs or death-carrying devices will be enough, once they are deployed in secluded areas and directed at the Israeli water resources or the Israeli beaches, let alone the markets and the residential centers. [This will be carried out] without explosions, noise, blood, or pictures that are used to serve the Israeli propaganda. Anyone who is capable, with complete self-control, of turning his body into shrapnel and scattered organs, is also capable of carrying a small device that cannot be traced and throw it in the targeted location.\"
