The sources said all 12 Palestinians were identified as members of
Hamas's military wing, Izzedin Kassam Brigades. They said the Palestinians
were found with explosive material and rocket-propelled grenades.
"They were planning a major strike on foreign tourists in Sinai,
probably Israelis," a security source said.
Over the weekend, the sources said, 17 Hamas operatives were arrested in
Sinai. They said the detainees belonged to two separate insurgency cells.
The sources said hundreds of Hamas fighters were believed to have
infiltrated Sinai from the Gaza Strip over the last 10 days. They said some
of the fighters were hiding in Bedouin communities or in the homes of
Palestinians in the Rafah area.
On Saturday, Egypt reported the capture of two Palestinians who planned
to strike tourist sites in southern Sinai. The Palestinians, two brothers,
were also identified as members of Hamas.
The sources said Egyptian security forces, aided by Bedouin trackers,
were also searching for four Palestinians on a mission to attack Israeli
tourists in Sinai. No further details were reported.
