By Xinhua
Jerusalem : The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Sunday apprehended a Palestinian youth carrying three explosive devices at a West Bank checkpoint, thwarting a potential suicide bombing attack targeting Tel Aviv, local daily Ha’aretz said.
According to the report, the IDF arrested the Palestinian youth at the Beit Iba checkpoint on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus.
He was supposed to transfer the explosives to someone inside Israel, where the explosives would be assembled into a bomb for a suicide attack in Tel Aviv.
Border Police sappers detonated in control the explosives, which were connected to one another with electric wires.
Israel has been on the alert for the possible attack launched from within the Israeli territory, which has been plagued frequently by the indirect attacks, mainly rocket attacks, from the Gaza Strip.
Earlier on Sunday, a Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip struck an open area near a kibbutz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council, fortunately causing no damage or injury. There was no immediate claim of responsibility from Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip.
Also on Sunday, Palestinian militants fired four mortar shells at Kibbutz Kerem Shalom near southern Gaza. The mortars, which struck near the kibbutz, caused no damage or injury either.
Over the weekend, militants in Gaza fired 15 mortar shells at Israeli targets along the border with the Strip, 10 of them landed near Kerem Shalom crossing on Saturday. One hit a kibbutz on Friday, causing very light damage by bursting a water pipe.