Terror intelligence closes Israel's airport
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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, July 10, 2001
TEL AVIV Ñ Israel has placed its international airport under siege
amid an alert of a terrorist attack.
Police and security forces have blocked all entrances to Ben-Gurion
Airport. They inspected every car entering the facility as well as vehicles
on the highways leading to the airport.
Officials refused to provide details on the terrorist alert. But they
said the alert was received on late Sunday and concerned Palestinian plans
to drive a car full of explosives into Ben-Gurion.
"We didn't shut down the airport because we felt like it, but because of
information," Israeli Transportation Minister Ephraim Sneh said.
The result was a huge traffic jam throughout Monday in the Tel Aviv
area. Many travelers left their cars and walked to the airport with back
packs.
Officials said the alert along with heightened security measures
continued into Tuesday.
A terror alert was declared amid a threat by the Islamic opposition
Hamas movement to launch 10 bombings in Israel. On Monday, tension rose in
Jerusalem when the municipality destroyed 14 Palestinian structures built
without licenses at the northern edge of the city.
At the same time, Israeli authorities ordered all residents in the Tel
Aviv area to stop drinking tap water. Authorities said the key pipe to the
city was polluted by water located near the Arab town of Tira. Officials
have so far ruled out the prospect of sabotage but said a guard was found
dead at his post at a water facility near Ben-Gurion Airport.
In the Gaza Strip, three Israeli soldiers were injured in a battle with
Palestinian forces near the Egyptian border. The Palestinians fired
rocket-propelled grenades at Israeli positions on early Tuesday and troops
damaged more than 20 buildings in the exchange of fire.
Israeli military sources said many of the buildings were used by
Palestinian snipers.
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