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Palestinians standing on a section of the destroyed border wall at Rafah during clashes with Egyptian police on Monday. (AP)
Last update - 18:18 23/02/2008
ANALYSIS: Israel has a 300km problem along border with Egypt
By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff , Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: dimona attack, gaza 

Even though the Dimona terror attack cannot be considered an operational success for the terror organizations; and despite the fact that information about the route the terrorists took to enter Israel still cannot be reported: there can be no mistake about Monday's message. The southern Negev has become the target for attacks and Israel is faced with a serious security problem along its border with Egypt: a 300-kilometer long problem.

Cooperation with Cairo on intelligence matters, in an attempt to prevent the entry of terrorists from Gaza into Israel via the Sinai Peninsula, is surprisingly good news. But, without a fence to effectively seal the border, and in light of the Egyptians difficulties in shutting off the Gaza Strip - the border there was once again breached Monday - a wave of additional terror attempts is expected in coming weeks.

Two weeks after the wall along the Gaza-Eyptian border was pulled down; Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority are faced with a real dilemma. Events in Gaza affect the situation in the West Bank, at least indirectly.
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That Hamas overcame Israel's blockade of Gaza encourages terrorist groups in the West Bank, who have also recently been the beneficiaries of a worrying level of support from the Palestinian Authority's security apparatus. Two Islamic Jihad activists from Qabatiyeh, who were killed Monday in a fight with the IDF, were involved in planning an attack on a settlement in Samaria.

And there are still warnings of suicide bombings by Hamas. In the face of all these threats, the Palestinian Authority is demonstrating clear weakness. Even the agreement whereby Israel allows previously wanted men to give up their weapons and remain free, which was considered a great success at the time, is starting to fall apart - there are now armed Fatah activists who are openly violating their agreements with the security forces.

The Dimona terror attack created confusion among the Palestinian organizations themselves. Some factions, from both Gaza and the West Bank, took responsibility for the bombing. At the same time there were conflicting claims as to the identities of the two terrorists.

The explanation for the confusion is not at all reassuring for Israel: It seems a number of different organizations have all sent terrorists at the same time to the Negev.

It is likely that those who sent the terrorists do not have continuous contact with them, and therefore they do not know if those who carried out the attack are actually their men. Therefore, if the Egyptians have not intercepted all of these groups, more terror attempts are to be expected via Sinai.

Some of the terror networks receive financing and instructions from Iran and from the Hezbollah in Lebanon. One of the factions which took responsibility for the bombing is that of Haled Al-Jabari, of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Al-Jabari, or Abu Al-Walid as he is known, is considered a terror "contractor," someone who sells his terrorist services: firing Qassam rockets or shooting attacks for money.

In the background, the tension between Egypt and Hamas over the border in Rafah continues. The Egyptians have not concealed their fury with Hamas, who the Egyptians feel unnecessarily caused them trouble with Israel because of the breaching of the border wall.

For now, Egypt is refusing to grant Hamas official standing at the border crossing, because of its behavior.

Within the Hamas, there is a fierce internal argument between the political side and the military wing. The terror activists feel there is a need to continue provoking the Egyptians, in order to pressure Cairo and gain additional successes in the new reality on the Gaza-Egyptian border. Hamas politicians think that for now there needs to be a bit less tension.

The accelerated contacts over a deal to free Gilad Shalit are also likely to affect Egyptian-Hamas relations.

As a result of the Dimona attack, the cabinet is once again voicing promises to build a fence along the Egyptian border. The estimated cost is likely to reach NIS 2-3 billion and the date for its completion is 2010, at the earliest.

Even this is an optimistic forecast, if based on the experience of the West Bank barrier. Soon the separation fence project will have its sixth anniversary and it still has a number of gaps, including a relatively large one between the Negev and the southern Hebron Hills; which allows much too easy access for Palestinians to the South of the country.

Related articles:
  • ANALYSIS: Terror attack was matter of time after Gaza border breach
  • Report: Egypt thwarts suicide terror attack against Israel
  • Hamas claims Dimona attack, says bombers came from Hebron
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      1.   Israel`s so-called security problem 04:43  |  Fed up 05/02/08
      2.   SERIOUS CONCERN IN DIMONA 04:51  |  George W. Bush 05/02/08
      3.   Future investments for Israel 05:18  |  Jim 05/02/08
      4.   Israel has two security problems 05:25  |  Mark Lincoln 05/02/08
      5.   #4 Mark Lincoln 05:44  |  Jim 05/02/08
      6.   Talkback posters excuse suicide attacks, yet again 06:25  |  Gili 05/02/08
      7.   the problem with this article 06:42  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/02/08
      8.   such pal actions will be the reasons they are fenced in 07:00  |  jj 05/02/08
      9.   War against terrorists. 07:37  |  Harold Lane 05/02/08
      10.   #1; Fed up.........ME too 08:15  |  Doc Holliday 05/02/08
      11.   Build bridges of Peace 08:23  |  pal 05/02/08
      12.   Fedup, learn some history, son 08:24  |  Oy Vey 05/02/08
      13.   Borders and Black Russian Terriers 08:31  |  Scientist 05/02/08
      14.   Amira , Gideon, Where are you 08:40  |  Aby 05/02/08
      15.   #7, Cipora, exactly 08:54  |  Eugene 05/02/08
      16.   Hamas miscalculation 08:56  |  Pablo B 05/02/08
      17.   The Uncle Tom`s tenuous grip on power in the West Bank 09:22  |  Clickfool 05/02/08
      18.   the infection is within.. 09:37  |  Mark Katzman 05/02/08
      19.   For Gili # 6 09:37  |  Clickfool 05/02/08
      20.   #6 Gili is indignant 10:02  |  Johnboy 05/02/08
      21.   No Fence All This Time?! Irresponsible!!!! 10:09  |  Raoul Isaac 05/02/08
      22.   Then what about Jordan borders which soon 10:49  |  Khalil Ishabib 05/02/08
      23.   You need the fence / wall all around Israel 11:01  |  Khalil Ishabib 05/02/08
      24.   Clickfool`s debasement of language 11:08  |  Stephen in New York 05/02/08
      25.   The biggest problem for Israel are the Israelis... 11:11  |  Dutch Dirk 05/02/08
      26.   Khalil Ishabib 11:16  |  Taly 05/02/08
      27.   Dumb + Dumber .. 11:28  |  eddie 05/02/08
      28.   Taly Ya Taly laan Allah taly ahlik do you know Arabic 11:44  |  Khalil Ishabib 05/02/08
      29.   CFOOL Not "Uncle Tom" at all.Their agenda is clear in Arabic 12:46  |  PETER SM 05/02/08
      30.   Ay 12:54  |  Ayy 05/02/08
      31.   For Stephen, on my "debasement" of language # 34 13:02  |  Clickfool 05/02/08
      32.   Why shouldn`t Gaza be fenced in? 13:08  |  Yonatan 05/02/08
      33.   KHALIL ISHAB. WORLD needs to fence in suicide bombers&Jihadists 13:23  |  PETER SM 05/02/08
      34.   fences will not solve the root of the problem 13:26  |  Alon 05/02/08
      35.   #31 Clickfool and a slaughter of civilians 13:58  |  Eugene 05/02/08
      36.   #24 Stephen and #31 Clickfool 14:35  |  Johnboy 05/02/08
      37.   israel will be the most fenced in nation on earth! 14:46  |  lakshmi 05/02/08
      38.   #32 Let`s run the ruler over these, Yonatan 14:47  |  Johnboy 05/02/08
      39.   CLICKFOOL, # 17 14:49  |  chasaboy 05/02/08
      40.   9. dear harold. US throws 2 atom bombs 14:58  |  bozhidar balkas 05/02/08
      41.   What tension between Egypt and Hamas? 15:24  |  Fortuna Benmayor 05/02/08
      42.   Why bother? Gaza border is only 12 km long 16:05  |  Bob 05/02/08
      43.   Johnboy Biased verdicts 16:14  |  Aby 05/02/08
      44.   at last, Gaza and Sinai, a place to dump old radioactive waste 18:43  |  dav zee 05/02/08
      45.   #36; Johnboy your point is pointless 19:29  |  Doc Holliday 05/02/08
      46.   don`t fence the kitchen, kill the roaches 21:11  |  frenz 05/02/08
      47.   Johnboy 21:49  |  Walter 05/02/08
      48.   Why not move Israel to the Jewish heartland? 22:17  |  Andreas 05/02/08
      49.   About legitimate targets: Since Israel sends out 22:18  |  Andreas 05/02/08
      50.   #38 You have no real arguments to counter me, Johnboy 23:03  |  Yonatan 05/02/08
      51.   Rememberances of Fences Past 23:04  |  Mark Lincoln 05/02/08
      52.   LAKSHMI.Indian fence is also meant to keep out terrorists 23:10  |  PETER SM 05/02/08
      53.   #51 Mark Lincoln - Fencews may not be an airtight solution 23:14  |  Yonatan 05/02/08
      54.   #50 Yonatan 23:33  |  Labhras 05/02/08
      55.   To Yonatan 23:34  |  pal 05/02/08
      56.   #47, #48 Andreas 23:47  |  Natallie Durson 05/02/08
      57.   Terror not a one-way street 00:39  |  Truth 06/02/08
      58.   No. 52: Labhras Mixing Metaphors 00:40  |  Tom 06/02/08
      59.   Petr Sm and fences 00:44  |  Truths 06/02/08
      60.   Eugene the result of terror 00:48  |  Truths 06/02/08
      61.   #43 Aby mumbles the mantra, the mantra, the mantra 01:11  |  Johnboy 06/02/08
      62.   #45 Doc Holiday does not understand Humanitarian Law 01:31  |  Johnboy 06/02/08
      63.   #50 Then you explain it again to me, Yonatan 01:39  |  Johnboy 06/02/08
      64.   TRUTH&fences what was the excuse before Israel even had an army? 05:19  |  PETER SM 06/02/08
      65.   #64 An odd concept from PETER SM 07:37  |  Johnboy 06/02/08
      66.   The real dilemma is Israel and it needs to be put out of business 09:02  |  Dutch 06/02/08
      67.   #60 Truth from Melbourne 09:05  |  Eugene 06/02/08
      68.   #50 This is worthy of additional comment, Yonatan 09:12  |  Johnboy 06/02/08
      69.   To Natallie Durson: I fully agree .... 09:32  |  Andreas 06/02/08