TEL AVIV — The Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah has ordered its
Palestinian agents to launch mass-casualty attacks in Israel.
Israeli security sources said Hizbullah has been financing more than 20
plots to conduct suicide and other bombings inside the Jewish state. The
sources said Hizbullah has relayed funds to Fatah operatives loyal to
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as well as Hamas and Islamic
Jihad.
"Hizbullah has increased funding and orders since the end of the
[Israeli-Lebanese] war," a source said. "It wants the action to move from
Lebanon to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem."
The sources said their information was based on the capture and
interrogation of senior Fatah and Jihad operatives. They said
Hizbullah-aligned cells were most active in the West Bank city of Nablus.
On Jan. 25, Israeli security forces captured a Fatah operative
identified as Amr Damara in Nablus. The 26-year-old has been charged with
organizing bombing attacks in Israel on orders of Hizbullah.
The sources said Damara was appointed by Hizbullah about a month ago
after the death of the previous liasion with the Shi'ite militia. Mohammed
Ramaha, another Fatah operative, was Hizbullah's liasion in Nablus, until he
was killed in an Israeli military operation on Dec. 14, 2006.
"Recently, Damara was involved in attempts to carry out a bombing attack
against Israeli civilians and lead several attempts to smuggle explosive
devices and explosive belts out of Nablus," the sources said.
The sources said the Fatah network in Nablus was directed by both
Hizbullah as well as commanders from the Gaza Strip. They said the network
marked one of the greatest security threats in the West Bank.
"These operatives are continuously working in order to carry out bombing
attacks against Israeli civilians," the source said.
On Tuesday, Israeli security forces foiled a major suicide bombing in
Tel Aviv. Security forces captured a 24 year-old Islamic Jihad insurgent who
led them to a cache of explosives hidden in central Israel. The insurgent
also led security forces to to his operator, Mahmoud Abu Ubayed, 24,
commander of Islamic Jihad in the West Bank town of Jenin. On Wednesday,
border police ambushed and killed Abu Ubayed.
