Package bomb prompts nat’l mail freeze

Woman's suspicions are raised upon receiving package in Migdal Haemek.

By BEN HARTMAN
National police headquarters in Jerusalem issued an order to cease mail delivery throughout Israel on Monday, following the discovery of what is believed to have been an explosive package at a post office in the northern city of Migdal Ha’emek.
A strict gag order has been placed on nearly all details of the case, but police said Monday that citizens are advised to exercise great caution when receiving any mail throughout the day.
A police spokesperson told The Jerusalem Post Monday that a woman received a package from a Migdal Ha’emek post office and upon opening it saw something that raised her suspicions.
Manasa Safir, 41, told Ma’ariv that she “still can’t really digest what happened,” adding that she is quite certain she won’t sleep soundly in the coming days.
After police were notified, the area was closed to traffic and passersby and police sappers neutralized the package. The spokesman said the issue of whether or not the package, which was sent from inside Israel, actually contained an explosive device is still under the gag order.
The spokesman also said police are still trying to determine whether the incident constitutes an act of terrorism.
In a related incident, a suspicious object was discovered in a post office in a Beersheba mall. Police sappers rushed to the scene, and the entire complex was evacuated. However, the object turned out to be harmless.
Police issued a statement Monday afternoon instructing the public on how to spot a suspicious package. Signs to look out for include an unknown identity or address of the sender on the package, a disproportionately heavy weight for the package’s size or suspicious features, such as wires or a mechanical devices.
The statement instructed the public not to open suspicious packages under any circumstances, and to contact police immediately.