| 05/16 14:24 |
| IDF thwarts double suicide bombing |
| Security forces prevented a double suicide
bombing attack planned for Jerusalem today when they arrested a Jordanian
national and shot and killed a Palestinian in Ramallah last night.
A third suicide bombing attack was prevented with the arrest of an
Islamic Jihad terrorist north of Ramllah. |
| |
| 05/16 12:50 |
| Deputy IDF Chief of Staff: Gaza operation
only matter of time |
| Deputy IDF Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe
Yaalon, who is to replace Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz as Chief of Staff this
summer, said while in the United States that an Israeli military operation
in the Gaza Strip "was only a matter of time." Yaalon slammed
the intentions of the United States to send CIA director George Tenet
to rebuild the Palestinian security forces. |
| |
| 05/16 12:25 |
| Shubaki trial postponed, as IDF prevents access
to Palestinian judges |
| The trial of Fuad Shubaki, the Palestinian
official accused by Israel of orchestrating the Karine A weapons shipment,
was postponed today when two Palestinian judges were prevented by
the IDF from leaving Hebron. Shubaki is being held in a Jericho prison,
but was due to be tried in absentia in Ramallah. |
| |
| 05/16 12:15 |
| Palestinian committee to work on reforms |
| In response to Palestinian Authority Chairman
Yasser Arafat's call for reforms within the Palestinian Authority,
the Palestinian Legislative Council designated a special committee
to draft a reform bill, which may include elections for the PLC and
local government, creating the position of Prime Minister, and the
separation of government institutions and the PLO. |
| |
|
05/16 12:00
|
| Increased security in Jerusalem for Shavuot
holiday |
| Following intelligence reports regarding
possible terror attacks, a high security alert is in effect in Jerusalem
for the upcoming Shavuot holiday. Thousands of Israelis are expected
to visit Jerusalem, where increased security forces will secure the
Western Wall and the Old City. |
| |
| 05/16 11:45 |
| "Jewish underground" members confess |
| Two members of the "Jewish underground",
Yarden Morag and Shlomi Dvir, were brought to a hearing today at a
Jerusalem court. Their attorney, Naftali Wertzberger, told the Jerusalem
Post that the two confessed to planting an explosive device near an
Arab school in East Jerusalem. |
| |
| 05/16 10:00 |
| Powell: PA reforms must come from within |
| U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell offered
U.S. assistance to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to
fulfill his promise to reform the Palestinian Authority. Powell added
that for any change to be real, the reforms must come from within.
The Bush administration is considering holding Israeli-Palestinian
security talks, possibly in Washington, in a forum convened by CIA
Director George Tenet. |
| |
| 05/16 09:45 |
| IDF kills Force 17 fighter near Ramallah |
| IDF forces shot and killed Ahmed Ghanam,
a Palestinian Authority security force member, and arrested his associate,
in Beituniya near Ramallah last night. IDF sources say the two were
attempting to flee from security forces in the area. |
| |
| 05/16 09:30 |
| Ben-Eliezer: internal elections would bring
down Labor |
| Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer
said that holding a run-off for party leadership now would be devastating
to the Labor Party. Ben-Eliezer's comments followed last night's Labor
Central Committee meeting, where his leadership of the party was challenged
by an alternative peace plan proposed by MK Haim Ramon. |
| |
|
05/16 09:15
|
| IDF arrests terror suspects in West Bank |
| Elite IDF "Ducafit" troops arrested
two Islamic Jihad members, one a senior activist, in Ramallah. Border
Police forces arrested a Palestinian armed with an explosive device
in the village of a-Ram, south of Ramallah. In the village of Talusa,
south of Nablus, IDF forces are conducting searches for terror suspects
and weapons. |
| |
| 05/16 09:00 |
| Shooting incidents in Gaza, no injuries reported |
| A series of shooting incidents were reported
last night in the Gaza Strip. Palestinians fired and threw grenades
at the IDF Tarmit post on the Egyptian-Israeli border, and fired shots
at IDF posts near Neve Dekalim in Gush Katif. No injuries were reported
in any of the incidents. |
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