By Xinhua
Jerusalem : The Palestinian militants, both from the Gaza Strip and West Bank, have recently increased their efforts in carrying out attacks against Israel, head of Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet, Yuval Diskin said on Sunday.
During a briefing to the cabinet, the Shin Bet chief told the ministers that “in recent months there have been numerous attempts, both from Gaza and from the West Bank, to carry out attacks on Israel,” local media said.
Diskin revealed that Israeli security forces foiled major suicide attack last week.
“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and Shin Bet prevented a major suicide attack last week: Terrorists tried to smuggle a car bomb and several suicide bombers into Israel… security forces intercepted the car, blew it up and seven terrorists were killed, “Diskin said. He was referring to an incident on Thursday near the Kissufim border crossing in the central Gaza Strip.
Diskin claimed that Hamas in Gaza was trying to establish a “terror infrastructure” in the West Bank, noting that there had recently been an increase in weapons smuggling from Egypt to the Strip.
He said that Fatah has demonstrated some policy changes. Fatah is trying to organize mass prayers on Fridays and the Palestinian National Authority has closed down 103 of Hamas’ establishments in the West Bank.
“We have also seen some sporadic attempts at preventive action on part of Palestinian security forces,” he added, saying “They have limited effect, but they show a certain change in policy.”
Earlier on Sunday, the IDF at a checkpoint near West Bank city of Nablus detained a Palestinian youth, who was carrying three pipe bombs meant to be used in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv.
An IDF investigation revealed that the youth was ordered to transfer the explosives from one side of the checkpoint to the other, whose job was to hand them over to the suicide bomber. The explosives were seized and detonated by army sappers.