Subscribe to Print Edition | Tue., February 12, 2008 Adar1 6, 5768 | | Israel Time: 09:56 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
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
Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin (Daniel Bar-On / Jini)
Last update - 05:21 04/02/2008
Shin Bet: Militants smuggled advanced arms into Gaza Strip
By Avi Issacharoff, Yuval Azoulay and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies
Tags: Israel, Gaza, IDF, Terror

Shin Bet security services chief Yuval Diskin told government ministers on Sunday that large quantities of advanced weapons have been smuggled into the Gaza Strip since the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip was breached 12 days ago.

Diskin listed long-range rockets, anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and materials used for rocket production as some of the arms brought into the coastal territory.

Security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, also said that dozens of Palestinian militants trained in Iran managed to return to Gaza, after months of being refused entry.
Advertisement
Diskin also said that terror organizations had strategically relocted dozens of militants and that the Shin Bet has located 30 points where it is possible to penetrate the border between Sinai and the Negev. He said intelligence shows that 20 of those points are in use by terrorists. Israeli security has been reinforced along the border with Egypt for fear of terrorist infiltration.


During the weekly cabinet meeting, Defense Minister Ehud Barak also called for the immediate construction of a fence along Israel's border with Egypt.

"The construction of a fence on the border with Egypt is an urgent need," the defense minister said. "We must immediately begin the prelimary stage [of construction], which would include two sections near Nitzana and in the Eilat area."

"These sections are vital, and must be constructed in order to deal with hostile terrorist activity and infiltrators," he added.

Diskin also warned of a permanent breach in the Gaza-Egypt border. "Weapons that were smuggled in tunnels will now be transferred in an easier manner above ground," Diskin told the cabinet meeting.

Diskin added, however, that such a situation would have the advantage of allowing Israel to transfer responsibility to Egypt. Diskin updated the ministers on the Egyptian-mediated talks between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority on the Gaza border crisis, but said it is still unclear whether the talks will bear fruit.

Israeli security on high alert

Israeli security remains high along the Egyptian border out of fear Palestinian militants who had already entered Sinai would attack targets in Israel.

Senior security officials confirmed to Haaretz that the many Egyptian press reports about arrests of Palestinian cells in Sinai last week are indeed correct.

Israel Defense Forces sources said they acknowledged that the border between Israel and Egypt is vulnerable and prone to penetration, despite the bolstering of border patrols during the past week.

Emphasizing this concern, GOC Southern Command Yoav Galant issued an order last week banning Israeli civilians from visiting areas close to the border with Egypt. Only those in organized tours accompanied by armed guards, and only following coordination with the IDF, will be allowed near the border, said the order.

As part of the upgrade in border security, the IDF has established a new buffer zone for its patrols, ranging from two to five kilometers wide.

An IDF source said that in the past security was bolstered in communities along the border with Egypt in line with changing circumstances and intelligence assessments.

Related articles:
  • Egypt arrests 17 Palestinian militants in Sinai over weekend
  • Four Qassam rockets fired from Gaza strike the western Negev
  • Palestinian tries to sneak lion, monkey into Gaza from Sinai
  • IDF troops use computer simulation to train for Gaza op
    • Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Google N for Nakba
    Israeli town sues Google over claim it was built on ruins of Palestinian village.
    A Belgian treat
    U.S. Jew says he was kicked out of a Bruges cafe because he was wearing a skullcap.
      1.   Gaza Border 03:27  |  Dan 03/02/08
      2.   Stereotypical woman-clutching-at-fence photo 03:27  |  Gili 03/02/08
      3.   who needs friends 03:32  |  REFUGEE 03/02/08
      4.   ""Egypt is in a much better position ..." 03:59  |  Morris Valentine 03/02/08
      5.   #2, Gili`s humanity.... 04:04  |  Silvienne 03/02/08
      6.   #5, It also fails to mention.. 04:19  |  mea,too 03/02/08
      7.   Just rely on Egypt, the`ll find the way to shaft Israel 04:43  |  Figaro 03/02/08
      8.   #2 Gili. A change isn`t it? 04:54  |  Maureen Ann 03/02/08
      9.   Egypt asking for trouble 05:00  |  The Archives 03/02/08
      10.   Egypt should supply Gaza 05:09  |  George W. Bush 03/02/08
      11.   #5 Silvienne - wrong 05:13  |  Jon 03/02/08
      12.   They did it to themselves 06:01  |  Josh 03/02/08
      13.   #5 Silvienne - Caption didn`t say why the blockade was necessary 06:03  |  * BEN JABO 03/02/08
      14.   Feminists for Palestine 06:32  |  Natallie Durson 03/02/08
      15.   Josh - The Israelis should give them freedom 06:43  |  MEANING 03/02/08
      16.   lets see now 06:56  |  ds 03/02/08
      17.   The inhabitant of Gaza. 07:16  |  Harold Lane 03/02/08
      18.   No need for New Headlines...they`re all the same 08:39  |  RW 03/02/08
      19.   Durson`s finally flipped her lid 08:59  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/02/08
      20.   Durson: Feminist Fervor Fixed 09:41  |  Lavi 03/02/08
      21.   Women in Palestinian society 09:44  |  Palestinian Brit 03/02/08
      22.   DURSON #14 , THE JOKE OF THE YEAR! 09:46  |  dovale 03/02/08
      23.   # 2 to gili in CANADA- a query and a comment 09:57  |  eric 03/02/08
      24.   #14 Natallie Durson. You are lacking the knowledge of Muslims 10:12  |  Moti 03/02/08
      25.   Pal Brit: I`m Encouraged To Hear Of Your Females Studying Hard .. 10:20  |  Lavi 03/02/08
      26.   to Palestinian Brit # 21 10:23  |  dovale 03/02/08
      27.   For Gili, and painful truth # 2 10:27  |  Clickfool 03/02/08
      28.   Fake Natallie Durson, if ever there was one #14 10:32  |  Clickfool 03/02/08
      29.   # 13 silvienne, he`s wrong; first came the zionists... 10:33  |  eric 03/02/08
      30.   Hamas has achieved nothing 10:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 03/02/08
      31.   # 14 i agree with you natallie, about the palestinians 10:51  |  eric 03/02/08
      32.   Israel`s "indigenous productivity" 10:52  |  Palestinain Brit 03/02/08
      33.   Enough!! its Arab on Arab, complain to the Arabs 10:52  |  PETER SM 03/02/08
      34.   LET THINK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE 10:59  |  indrajaya 03/02/08
      35.   Christians and Moslems in Palestine - 11:05  |  Palestinian Brit 03/02/08
      36.   #29erica from occupied nm and the untruth ! 11:10  |  v hardman 03/02/08
      37.   Dovedale. 11:10  |  Palestinian Brit 03/02/08
      38.   # 24 to moti in israel 11:26  |  eric 03/02/08
      39.   Cipora talks rot # 30 11:53  |  Clickfool 03/02/08
      40.   the best way to blow up a good idea 12:01  |  drdanielito 03/02/08
      41.   v hard?man 12:02  |  Bon Levi 03/02/08
      42.   # 36 you`re very very wrong, vickie 12:02  |  eric 03/02/08
      43.   For Gaza, Winograd II is needed 12:48  |  Jonathan S 03/02/08
      44.   Hamas 12:49  |  Clickfool 03/02/08
      45.   Hamas Victory? 13:04  |  Perhaps Not 03/02/08
      46.   Build a wall inside Egypt 13:28  |  Jaime 03/02/08
      47.   Wall of Shame 13:28  |  david 03/02/08
      48.   # 34 INDY..."let`s see what Egypt can do about it" 13:42  |  Lynn 03/02/08
      49.   Hamas now patrolling 220km border between Egypt/Israel. Another 13:52  |  Reuven 03/02/08
      50.   # 39 Clicky....I haven`t heard loud 13:58  |  Lynn 03/02/08
      51.   eric: when did `history` begin? 14:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 03/02/08
      52.   What could Israel say, Lynn? 14:26  |  Clickfool 03/02/08
      53.   42eric 1929 Slaughter of all Hebron Jews was Resistance? 14:28  |  Rob 03/02/08
      54.   Border fence 14:43  |  nina 03/02/08
      55.   # 42 eric ....so what? 14:45  |  Lynn 03/02/08
      56.   david, one peaceful state, like Sudan, Iraq, Lebanon? 14:45  |  I 03/02/08
      57.   Margie - What attacks? 14:46  |  Philip 03/02/08
      58.   # 52 Clicky....My last sentence sort of said 14:50  |  Lynn 03/02/08
      59.   Natallie Durson 14:51  |  Amira 03/02/08
      60.   great, now israelis won`t be able to visit egypt anymore... 14:52  |  Joey 03/02/08
      61.   The coming war in Gaza gets more difficult by the minute 14:53  |  Clickfool 03/02/08
      62.   53 Pal 1920-1948 leader, The Mufti, is still their national hero 14:55  |  I 03/02/08
      63.   To 39, 44, 52 Clickfool: Triumph with failure ? 14:59  |  Altalena 03/02/08
      64.   The fence is open 15:01  |  Fritz T. 03/02/08
      65.   # 45 Perhaps not.... 15:01  |  Lynn 03/02/08
      66.   #53 Rob 15:06  |  Chris Linthwaite 03/02/08
      67.   Free The West Bank - Open the Jordanian Border 15:09  |  Reader 03/02/08
      68.   Rodney King was right. Once, I think. 15:13  |  Gideon Reader 03/02/08
      69.   I Urge Immediate Regime Change 15:29  |  Jane 03/02/08
      70.   Yes, rely on Egypt 15:32  |  Man deVoshkes 03/02/08