[Ha'aretz] Yuval Azoulay - Israeli authorities five weeks ago arrested a Hamas operative who infiltrated Israel from Gaza in a bid to kidnap Israel Defense Forces soldiers, it emerged Sunday. Jemal abu Duabah, a resident of the Gaza town of Rafah, was arrested after he illegally entered Israel from Sinai. An investigation revealed that the would-be kidnapper crossed into Sinai from Gaza via a tunnel. During his stay in Sinai, he made his final arrangements for the abduction of the troops, whom he planned to smuggle back into Gaza to use as bargaining chips for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel. During his interrogation, Abu Duabah stressed that senior officials in Hamas' military wing trained him in Gaza. He said they also funded the training of the cell which was meant to assist him in planning and carrying out the kidnapping.
2008-10-27 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive