(Ha'aretz) Amos Harel- Since the beginning of the year, 71 Israelis have been killed in terrorist attacks. Last year in the same period, 121 Israelis were killed. This is happening precisely at a time when Hamas wants to avenge the assassinations of its leaders, when the Palestinian organizations are competing over which of them will expel Israel from the Gaza Strip, and when the Lebanon-based Hizballah is putting heavy pressure on terror activists in the territories to kill more Jews. The proportion of those killed in the West Bank fell from 29% to 13%, while the proportion of those killed in the Gaza Strip increased from 11% to 38%. The Shin Bet is now in control on the ground to a degree that compares favorably even with the period of direct Israeli occupation of the West Bank, prior to the Oslo Accords. Accurate information exists about the overwhelming majority of terrorist cells, enabling the IDF to arrest wanted individuals night after night.
2004-08-13 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive