Islamic Terrorist Who Planned Mass Attack In Israel Arrested

Jerusalem – Israeli security forces arrested Sami Salid Rashid Zayud, an Islamic Jihad terrorist who planned the attempted mass terror attack on the Israeli home front in September 2002 has been arrested.

He was arrested in the village of Silat Al Harithiya, southwest of Jenin.

Mr. Zayud planned to explode a vehicle carrying 300 pounds of explosives adjacent to a residential building, in order to kill as many of the residents as possible.

The terror attack was thwarted when the vehicle was stopped at a Border Police checkpoint near Givat Ada.

According to security assessments, the terrorists came from the area of Jenin and infiltrated into the Israeli Arab communities in the Wadi Ara region.

During the operation, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) shot and identified hitting Mr. Zayud.

He was taken to hospital for medical treatment.

The Islamic Jihad in Northern Samaria, which was responsible for the attempted terrorist attack, coordinates the terror activity in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm.

It has carried out many suicide bombing attacks in the Israeli home front, killing dozens of Israeli civilians and injuring hundreds.

In IDF activity in 2007, 9 terror operatives from the Islamic Jihad in Northern Samaria were killed and 11 arrested.

The main terror attacks carried out by the Islamic Jihad in Northern Samaria in the recent years:

Feb. 2, 2005: A suicide bombing at the “Stage” club in Tel Aviv – 5 people killed.

July 12, 2005: A suicide bombing at the “Hasharon” mall in Netanya – 5 people killed.

Dec. 5, 2005: An additional bombing at the “Hasharon” mall in Netanya – 5 people killed.

Oct. 26, 2005: A suicide bombing at the market in Hadera – 6 people killed.

April 17, 2006: A suicide bombing at Neve Sha’anan Street, near the old bus station in Tel Aviv – 9 people killed, including an American teenager, Daniel Wultz, a cousin of Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

Despite Success,

Israel Retaking Gaza Seems Inevitable

Senior Israel Defense establishment figures have assessed that the IDF offensive against the Islamic Jihad leaders caused serious harm to this terror organization, and demonstrated the IDF’s operational capability once again. However, there is one thing it did not accomplish: the reduction of the scope of rocket fire at the Negev. This target was not attained, as activity of this type cannot stop the rocket fire. On the other hand, there is only one solution that would lead to absolute calm in the northern Negev: a resumption of Israeli control of the entire Gaza Strip.

IDF Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant has spoken about this countless time in closed forums.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi voiced this thought last week when he said that Israel was approaching the point when it will be compelled to carry out a large-scale operation in the Gaza Strip, adding: “it is not possible be victorious over a terror organization without in the end taking control of the area.”

Operation Defensive Shield, launched in April 2002, resulted in the Israeli army retaking Judea and Samaria after a nine year experiment, during which the PLO ruled, and used the hills of Judea and Samaria as a terror bases, from which they launched attacks on the rest of Israel.

IDF activity throughout the area, night after night, is the reason for the dramatic decline in terror attacks down to almost zero attacks over the last year.

The fact that over the last year there were no suicide bombings in Israel does not stem from the goodwill of the terrorists, nor is it because of the fence; it is only a result of serious deterrent operations by the Israeli armed forces.

Abbas Promotes International Forces, Condemns Israeli Airstrikes

The Ma’an Palestinian news agency reports that Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, now promotes deployment of an international force in Judea and Samaria.

“International forces are absolutely acceptable for us,” Mr. Abbas said. He was responding to a suggestion by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, made Monday at the Paris donors’ meeting, that international forces be brought in to bolster the Palestinian security forces that control parts of the West Bank.

As for the Gaza Strip, where Hamas, not the Fatah-controlled PA, hold power,

Mr. Abbas said that more than half the PA’s budget still goes to Gaza. Three months ago, two U.S. Congressional delegations were assured by Mr. Abbas that no further funds from the Palestinian Authority would be allocated to Gaza, so long as Hamas was the ruling force in that area.

©The Bulletin 2007