"It seems that terrorists intended to carry out a more severe attack,
with the characteristics of an infiltration into a community or a
kidnapping," Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, chief of the Israeli military's Southern
Command, said.
At the same time, Hamas was said to be preparing to destroy the
12-kilometer border wall between the Gaza Strip and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
Security sources said Hamas was believed to have laid mines at the Rafah
border terminal with Egypt.
The sources said Hamas could use bulldozers to knock down the
newly-reinforced concrete border wall built by Egypt in wake of the previous
breach in January 2008. They said Egyptian troops along the border wall have
been placed on alert in coordination with Israel.
On April 8, Hamas warned of an imminent explosion along the Gaza-Sinai
border. The regime demanded the immediate and permanent opening of the Rafah
border terminal.
"I say clearly all options are open," Hamas representative Khalil Al
Haya said. "What is coming will be bigger than what happened in the past,
not only at the borders with Egypt but in other areas too."
