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Israel: Intelligence services stopping 75 percent of Palestinian attacks

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, August 21, 2001

GAZA Ñ Successful commando operations have stopped three out of every four Palestinian attacks according to an internal Israeli government report.

Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer was quoted as telling the Cabinet on Sunday that the nation's intelligence services have foiled 75 percent of Palestinian attacks. Ben-Eliezer said many of the successes are not reported to the Israeli public, Middle East Newsline reported.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon agreed. "We have undertaken special operations," Sharon said on late Sunday. "I would say we are carrying out commando operations against terrorism."

On Monday, Israeli authorities stopped a truck laden with weapons that drove from Ramallah to the Gaza Strip. The weapons were stored under construction material.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority has resumed mortar fire against Israeli targets in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian gunners fired mortars at Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli civilian was wounded.

Israeli attack helicopters responded with missile fire toward Palestinian positions near Khan Yunis. PA sources said three PA police officers were injured.

On late Sunday, three Palestinians were killed in the Gaza city of Rafah. Palestinian sources said the three were killed by an Israeli missile.

Israeli military sources said the Palestinians were killed when one of them was preparing a bomb. The sources said one of the three was a leading activist in the Palestinian war against Israel. Earlier, three Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli troops, two of them in the strip. An Israeli military officer was injured in fighting in Hebron.

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