Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., March 17, 2008 Adar2 11, 5768 | | Israel Time: 23:38 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

IDF soldiers standing in front of a blood-stained vehicle near the West Bank city of Hebron, after Palestinian militants shot dead two Israeli hikers on Friday. (Reuters) Last update - 04:53 01/01/2008 Shin Bet data shows dramatic drop in 2007 terror fatalities By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Shin Bet, Terror Attacks  Thirteen Israelis were killed by Palestinians in 2007, the lowest number in years, according to data released yesterday by the Shin Bet security service. The fatality figures for 2006 and 2005 were 24 and 50, respectively. Moreover, there was only one successful suicide bombing last year, down from six in 2006 and 60 during the intifada's worst year, 2002. That bombing, in Eilat last January, killed three people. Advertisement According to the Shin Bet, the sharp decline in terror stemmed not from a drop in the terrorists' motivation, but from Israel's success in foiling attacks. This success is based on three elements: the separation fence, superb intelligence, and the Israel Defense Forces' almost complete freedom of action in the West Bank. The data show "as close as possible to a victory over terror," a senior defense official told Haaretz. "The IDF and Shin Bet succeeded in thwarting suicide terror, reducing it to a tolerable level." In contrast to the sharp decline in suicide bombings, however, rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza continued apace. In total, Palestinians fired 1,263 rockets and 1,511 mortar shells at southern Israel last year, compared with 1,722 rockets and 55 mortars in 2006. Rocket attacks accounted for two of last year's fatalities, both in Sderot. The Shin Bet estimates that 80 tons of explosives have been smuggled into Gaza since Hamas ousted Fatah in the strip last June, and that Hezbollah funnels $10 million a year to Palestinian terror groups. Related articles: Study: Number of Palestinians killed by IDF dropped 43% in '07 Surviving hiker recounts Friday`s shooting attack in Hebron Hills IDF: PA police killed settler Ido Zoldan in West Bank last week Bookmark to del.icio.us   Facebook face-off Settlers win right to list country as Israel, not Palestine. Shin Bet.com The covert agency has deployed a new weapon: the blog.   1.   FACT: Killing Terrorists Is The ONLY Way To Bring Peace 06:52  |  Yishai Kohen 01/01/08   2.   You see folks, that`s why Israel has the Security fence 07:52  |  Conroy 01/01/08   3.   Some crimes cannot be forgotten 07:57  |  Natallie Durson 01/01/08   4.   The shameful Shin Bet and IDF 08:18  |  Dutch 01/01/08   5.   Let`s be realistic: the Arabs lost their war of terror 08:46  |  Dani 01/01/08   6.   How atrocious ...its own attacks 08:51  |  Dutch 01/01/08   7.   Natallie Durson: Poor Poor Pitiful Me 09:40  |  Natan 01/01/08   8.   #4 & 5 to Mustafa, THE DUTCH 10:08  |  Guido 01/01/08   9.   Qudos IDF 10:53  |  Adrian de Klerk 01/01/08   10.   if you don`t live in Israel then Shut Your Trap! 10:53  |  don 01/01/08   11.   Qudos Shin-Bet 10:54  |  Adrian de Klerk 01/01/08   12.   #3 Natallie 11:03  |  Silvia 01/01/08   13.   Win One for the Security Fence! 11:09  |  Mark Hamil 01/01/08   14.   The Other Side of Midnight 12:18  |  Dav 01/01/08   15.   Good Job Israel 12:29  |  JD 01/01/08   16.   Time to get off the war mongering kick too 12:46  |  Dutch 01/01/08   17.   good news, and bad news 12:53  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/01/08   18.   "Tolerable level" 13:19  |  christoph 01/01/08   19.   PROOF: One Can Laugh At "No Peace Until Militants Are Stopped." 13:42  |  Proud Pal Defender 01/01/08   20.   don (#10) 14:23  |  christoph 01/01/08   21.   What people seem to forget 14:42  |  Paul Wood 01/01/08   22.   #5 Dani 14:54  |  Paul Wood 01/01/08   23.   Can Israel continuie to afford 14:59  |  Chris Linthwaite 01/01/08   24.   Security wall 15:09  |  Jim 01/01/08   25.   Israel a Model of How to Defeat Terrorism 15:14  |  Jane 01/01/08   26.   Paul Wood: You`re Wrong 15:15  |  Yishai Kohen 01/01/08   27.   Paul Wood`s Hopes for Al Qaeda 15:21  |  Jane 01/01/08   28.   #26 Yishai Kohen 15:49  |  Paul Wood 01/01/08   29.   #27 Jane of California 15:53  |  Paul Wood 01/01/08   30.   Jane the model 15:58  |  Bart 01/01/08   31.   STOP POSTING THE DISHONEST `OPINIONS` OF NATALIE AND DUTCH 16:06  |  Steve Randolph 01/01/08   32.   Bart - They Hate Because they`re Only Taught Hate 16:26  |  Jane 01/01/08   33.   Bart an eye for an eye ? 16:35  |  want to know 01/01/08   34.   Paul: That`s Still Wrong- It Wasn`t About Israel 16:50  |  Yishai Kohen 01/01/08   35.   Calm before the storm? Osama bin Laden Threats.... 16:54  |  POP 01/01/08   36.   Excellent news! 17:13  |  Nathan Mizrahi 01/01/08   37.   POP and Dutch upset more Jews weren`t killed 17:19  |  Nathan Mizrahi 01/01/08   38.   The present vs. the future 17:28  |  Tosefta 01/01/08   39.   #31 maybe steve haaretz pays these misfits to write? 17:31  |  victor hardman 01/01/08   40.   #38 Victor hardman 18:33  |  Paul Wood 01/01/08   41.   #39 VictorPaul harrisman 18:43  |  Labhras 01/01/08   42.   #40 Paul wood re tesco in Belfast 19:29  |  Labhras 01/01/08   43.   Natallie - have you changed your allegiance 19:57  |  Benny 01/01/08   44.   Advice for Tosefta 19:59  |  Tosefta 01/01/08   45.   Paul Wood 20:38  |  Nathan Mizrahi 01/01/08   46.   Drop in Fatalities 20:51  |  Dennis 01/01/08   47.   #45 Nathan Mizrahi 22:07  |  Paul Wood 01/01/08   48.   #40 labarse of arabia and shopping on the net ? 23:18  |  victor hardman 01/01/08   49.   #40 mr wood orders from the jewish store tesco? 23:24  |  victor hardman 01/01/08   50.   #35, POP 23:37  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 01/01/08   51.   #31 Steve Randolph, Pretty amazzing... 01:00  |  Dutch 02/01/08   52.   a Gov with balls would have authorized a new army base pre- 02:19  |  avigdor 02/01/08   53.   #32 Jane, Israel can`t have it both ways anymore, 02:21  |  DUtch 02/01/08   54.   it is hardly a secret anymore: a shekel in Gaza goes way 02:39  |  Zeev 02/01/08   55.   #53 - Dutch, if I may... 07:45  |  JES 02/01/08   56.   Jes, getting back 12:44  |  Dutch 02/01/08   57.   if you don`t live in Israel then Shut Your Trap! 14:56  |  Micko 02/01/08   58.   #56 - Dutch 17:33  |  JES 02/01/08   59.   Thank you God, for less blood shed. 05:25  |  . 03/01/08   60.   JES, Re: Baseless Assertions--really? 10:33  |  Dutch 03/01/08   61.   Well Dutch 15:46  |  JES 03/01/08   62.   #60 Dutch - Which Americans? 22:59  |  Hank 04/01/08   63.   #6 hey Dutch you know why this drop in terror fatalities? 23:00  |  I know 17/03/08   64.   # 60, Dutch. 23:29  |  Jordan 17/03/08

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