Two soldiers were wounded along the border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, in
some of the worst violence the area has seen in weeks.
The IDF said that
the soldiers were part of a patrol along the border when shots were fired
hitting both an officer and a soldier. They were evacuated to a hospital where
they were treated for mild injuries. Vice Premier Shaul Mofaz said that the
escalation was a “localized issue,” but added that the IDF must be ready for all
developments on the Gaza front.
Also on Wednesday, the Shin Bet (Israel
Security Agency) revealed that it has uncovered a number of Palestinian
terrorist cells operating in the Hebron area and planning a series of attacks,
including the kidnapping of a resident of Kiryat Arba.
The Shin Bet said
that one of the cells, affiliated with Izzadin Kassam, Hamas’s military wing,
was led by two 21 year olds from Hebron, one of whom – Mahmoud Dwek, was jailed
before in Israel for expressing a desire to serve as a suicide
bomber.
The cell planted a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
along the security fence surrounding Kiryat Arba.
The cell planned to
infiltrate the settlement and abduct a resident or, failing that, murder one.
The cell members also admitted to throwing several Molotov cocktails at other
settlements in the area.
Another two Palestinians – both 26 years old –
from the Bethlehem area were apprehended and found responsible for an IED attack
against an Israeli car near the West Bank village of Yata.
The Shin Bet
said that the bomb was highly sophisticated and was detonated with a mobile
phone. The explosive device was hidden inside a fire extinguisher.
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