IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen Benny Gantz instituted new defensive measures along Israel's border with Egypt on Wednesday in the wake of intelligence indicating that additional Palestinian terror groups were planning attacks like the one carried out
last Thursday by the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC).
Gantz's orders went into effect Wednesday afternoon and included a bolstering of defensive measures along the border with Egypt as well as a stronger emphasis on collection of intelligence by the IDF in Gaza as well as in Sinai in an effort to locate and track terrorists that may be planning attacks against Israel.
RELATED:Rocket from Gaza Strip lands in Egypt; woman injured'Egypt planning to destroy Gaza smuggling tunnels'Gantz also made changes to the operational doctrine of the Navy Command Center in Eilat which is responsible for protecting southern Israel from threats originating in the Red Sea.
"These are important changes that come in response to the serious threat that Israel faces today from the Sinai peninsula," a military source said.
The Defense Ministry was also considering speeding up construction of the fence on the Egyptian border.
Nearly a week after the terror attacks near Eilat, the IDF remained on
high alert along the border with Egypt amid fears that additional terror
cells might be in the Sinai on their way to carry out similar attacks
along Israel’s southern border.
The attacks, which took place on Thursday near the Netafim Crossing,
were carried out by around 20 operatives from the Gaza-based Popular
Resistance Committees.
Some of the terrorists crossed into Israel and others remained on the
Egyptian side of the border. Eight Israelis were killed in the series of
attacks.
Early Monday morning, shots were fired at IDF troops deployed along
Israel’s border with Egypt, not far from the scene of last week’s
attacks. Soldiers returned fire and flares were launched but the shooter
was not located.
“The level of alert is still high,” an IDF source said on Monday. “We
are concerned that terrorists are still roaming throughout the Sinai who
could be plotting another attack.”
On Monday, Road 12 – along which the attacks took place last week –
remained closed, causing severe traffic jams on other roads that lead to
Eilat.
OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Tal Russo has taken responsibility for
deciding to open the road the morning of the attack after it was closed
the night before due to the terror alert that was provided by the Shin
Bet (Israel Security Agency) regarding the PRC plot.
Meanwhile Monday, Egypt continued to crack down on the Sinai, increasing
its efforts to restore order there and deployed larger numbers of
troops along some of the main roads throughout the peninsula.
As reported in The Jerusalem Post on Monday, Israel will consider
allowing Egypt to deploy additional forces in the demilitarized Sinai if
it requests to.
According to Arab news reports, soldiers from the Third Field Army were
deployed in armored personnel carriers along the roads and were also
holding meetings with senior tribal leaders in the region.
