AP News, September 23rd, 2007
Israeli police found an explosives belt in a Tel Aviv apartment building early Saturday and said they averted a Hamas suicide bombing on the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.
Police acted on information gathered during a three-day army raid in the Ein Beit Ilmeh refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus.
During the raid, troops arrested four suspects, including the man planning to carry out the attack and the head of the Hamas military wing in the camp, Nihad Shkirat, officials said.
In the search for the explosives Saturday, a police officer was injured in a scuffle with Palestinians living in the Tel Aviv apartment without the required entry permits for Israel, police said. The belt was detonated in a controlled explosion, the Haaretz daily reported.
The Shin Bet security service had picked up the trail to the explosives belt when it arrested Shkirat on Thursday, the army said. Shkirat told investigators he passed the belt to another Palestinian who works in Tel Aviv. Police arrested that suspect Friday night, were led to the Tel Aviv apartment and found the belt.
During the Yom Kippur holiday, when Jews fast and seek forgiveness for the year ahead, Israel comes to a virtual standstill for the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. The roads are nearly free of cars, television and radio broadcasts cease and stores are closed.
Fearing militant attacks, Israeli officials had sealed off the Palestinian territories Friday.
There was no immediate response from Hamas. The Islamic militant group carried out scores of suicide bombings in the past decade, killing hundreds of Israelis. However, in the last two years, Hamas largely halted such attacks as it made attempts to forge a cease fire with Israel. At the same time Hamas rocket attacks on Israel towns from Gaza have continued.
