By Xinhua
Jerusalem : An attempted Palestinian attack targeting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during his visit to West Bank city of Jericho in August has been thwarted, chief of Shin Bet Yuval Diskin told cabinet meeting Sunday morning.
The attack, schemed by a Fatah cell, was thwarted by Shin Bet, Israeli domestic security watchdog, and Palestinian Intelligence Service, Diskin was quoted by the website of local newspaper Ha’aretz as saying.
He said the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) arrested some terrorists following the incident, but released them last week in spite of their admitted crimes.
More Fatah men were arrested by Israeli side during West Bank raids later, he said.
Diskin said the attack was to be carried out on the convoy of Olmert as it entered Jericho on August 6 for a meeting with PNA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the first of its kind between the two on Palestinian soil after seven years conflict.
In May, the Shin Bet also revealed an attempted attack on Olmert by a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip who was working for the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders.