Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., April 11, 2008 Nisan 6, 5768 | | Israel Time: 07:01 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

IDF troops and vehicles close to the site of an attack at the Karni crossing between Israel and Gaza on Wednesday. (AP) Last update - 23:55 09/04/2008 Local security officer: Palestinians warned of infiltration By Avi Issacharoff , Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service Tags: Hamas, Gaza Strip, Israel  Palestinian fuel coordinators alerted Israelis manning the Nahal Oz fueling terminal that Palestinian terrorists had infiltrated Israel prior to the terror attack that left two Israeli civilians dead, Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council chief security officer Yoav Peled said Wednesday. "It is in the Palestinians' interest that fuel continue to be transferred [from Israel] into the Gaza Strip, so they gave the Israeli side, the guys that worked there, information about the infiltration, and warned them," Peled said. According to Peled, the drivers of the fuel trucks that were at the terminal during the time of the attack managed to flee unharmed, but two Israeli employees were murdered while attempting to escape. The two were shot at very close range while one of them was in a truck and the other was standing just outside the vehicle. Advertisement Eye witnesses said that the four terrorists who infiltrated the terminal from the Gaza Strip had shot the two victims again, to confirm the kill, and riddled their dead bodies with bullets. An eye witness who arrived at the scene minutes after the shooting said that the bodies of the two victims were mutilated and perforated by the shooters. "The terrorists threw a hand grenade and sprayed them," the witness said. "It was a difficult sight to look at the two bodies. The terrorists came pretty close to them and shot them at close range." The security officer of the Sdot Negev Regional Council, Rafi Babian, who arrived at the scene minutes after the infiltration, said "it is a clear Palestinian interest to receive fuel; they say they want to operate their hospital. Now I believe that the transfer of fuel will cease over the next few days." The fuel transfer terminal is operated by the Israeli gasoline company Dor Alon. It operates in such a way that fuel trucks arrive on the Israeli side and unload their cargo into an underground pipeline that transfers the fuel into Palestinian territory. The Israel Defense Forces estimate that the infiltration and subsequent terror attack had been planned for a long time and that its express objective was to kidnap an IDF soldier or an Israeli civilian to be used as a bargaining chip in later negotiations. The IDF base their estimation on the fact that a getaway Earlier Wednesday, GOC Southern Command Yoav Galant said that the objective of the terror attack was to kidnap IDF troops. Galant's comments came after a spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees declared that the abduction of a soldier was the shooting attack's primary purpose. "It seems that terrorists intended to carry out a more severe attack, with the characteristics of an infiltration into a community or a kidnapping," Galant said. The IDF later said that the fact that a getaway car was waiting for the terrorists on the Palestinian side was indicative of the gunmen's aim to abduct soldiers or civilians and drive them into Palestinian territory. Galant praised the response of IDF troops to the attack, saying that "quick action by the forces brought about the retreat of the terrorists after a short amount of time. Unfortunately, two Israeli civilians were killed. During the combat we succeed in killing two terrorists." Earlier Wednesday, a PRC spokesman Abu Mujahed said that, "the goal of the attack was to kidnap Israeli soldiers and break the siege on the Gaza Strip." Abu Mujahed was speaking in an interview with Al-Jazeera. Abducted Israel Defense forces soldier Gilad Shalit was kidnapped in a similar cross-border raid in June 2006. Islamic Jihad spokesman Abu Ahmad said "the Palestinian fighters who participated in the operation returned safely to the Strip." Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, praised the attack as heroic and courageous. He said Hamas was not responsible but affirmed his group's support for "resistance." Related articles: Israel: Hamas responsible for Gaza attack, will pay the price IDF soldier killed, two wounded in southern Gaza Strip Hamas official hints at another Gaza border breach Bookmark to del.icio.us   Banning Beijing boycott Israel's Olympic panel warns against mixing sports and politics. 20,000 strong A study released by an Israeli think tank shows Hamas' military buildup in Gaza is at its peak.   1.   take the gloves off 18:40  |  ross 09/04/08   2.   Why are they called terrorists? 19:47  |  Jens 09/04/08   3.   We can thank Bush for the incursion 20:15  |  Mike 09/04/08   4.   Armed Struggle until Destruction of Israel 20:18  |  Jean Van Daem 09/04/08   5.   "The goal of the attack 20:28  |  Edifice 09/04/08   6.   #2 - Well Jens 20:37  |  JES 09/04/08   7.   Arabs have a Goal: terrorist murder 21:00  |  Zev 09/04/08   8.   #2...the term "terrorist" 21:17  |  Clark 09/04/08   9.   Clark, you really have a right to talk! 21:57  |  utagwa 09/04/08   10.   Response to Utagwa 22:14  |  Clark 09/04/08   11.   Response to Utagwa 22:27  |  clark 09/04/08   12.   Militants? No, Terrorists, pure & simple. 23:11  |  common sense 09/04/08   13.   #2, Clark in NYC--how right you are! 23:26  |  Silvienne 09/04/08   14.   response to Clark 23:30  |  Dan 09/04/08   15.   response to Clark cont. 23:35  |  Dan 09/04/08   16.   response to Clark cont. 23:37  |  Dan 09/04/08   17.   hamas responsible, they must pay for damage to facility, compensa 23:37  |  ralph 09/04/08   18.   Jens & Clark - meaning of "terrorist" 23:40  |  Reuben Jacobs 09/04/08   19.   Response to Clark - Terrorists are those who target civilians. 23:41  |  JP 09/04/08   20.   Palestinians Confirming Kills like the IDF is Outrageous! 23:44  |  Lev Bronstein 09/04/08   21.   Clark (10 & 11) 23:48  |  tim 09/04/08   22.   Gaza infiltrators 23:59  |  Br. Brian 09/04/08   23.   crying wolf. oh please 00:08  |  socalmaverick 10/04/08   24.   @Jens: Not terrorists? 00:12  |  civilized Kid 10/04/08   25.   Response to Clark 00:13  |  Proud Jew 10/04/08   26.   Good to see there are proper decent palestinians 00:22  |  Johnny 10/04/08   27.   whats with the hold up of fuel to gaza?? 00:23  |  hal tripp 10/04/08   28.   @Clark in NYC: You`re too funny! :-) 00:24  |  civilized Kid 10/04/08   29.   Jens - only palestinian terrorists target civilians 00:32  |  Johnny 10/04/08   30.   The gloves will come off its a matter of time 00:36  |  Levi 10/04/08   31.   Why reveal who gave warning? 00:52  |  Neil Kuchinsky 10/04/08   32.   Socal maverick 00:56  |  Proud Jew 10/04/08   33.   Who lived in Israel 100,000 years ago? 00:58  |  Wondering 10/04/08   34.   israel-stop feeding hamas 01:18  |  alan 10/04/08   35.   Br. Brian # 22 - Re: Clark 01:19  |  Don Smith 10/04/08   36.   Clark, who really has a right to talk! 01:22  |  utagawa 10/04/08   37.   #2--because they were after the Jews 01:25  |  Paul Freedman 10/04/08   38.   #2: terrorists for decades 01:30  |  Paul Freedman 10/04/08   39.   Clark still trying to justify his hypocrisy 01:33  |  utagawa 10/04/08   40.   ok, now let the palestinians pay for their stupidness 01:38  |  Joey 10/04/08   41.   #20 Vanya Bronshteinov 02:15  |  Vanyek 10/04/08   42.   why are they called terrorists...??? 02:18  |  jed nghtingale 10/04/08   43.   3 Mike in SF - Bush`s Ineptness 02:41  |  Mark of Lewiston 10/04/08   44.   20 whats the facts 02:55  |  larzbeach 10/04/08   45.   So when is it not OK to kill jews? 02:57  |  Ilya 10/04/08   46.   16 Dan - What would US do? 03:01  |  Mark of Lewiston 10/04/08   47.   The definition of "terrorism" 07:08  |  Johnboy 10/04/08   48.   BRONSTEIN The girl,miles from home wearing a knapsack 09:34  |  PETER SM 10/04/08   49.   Jen- #2 - Read the article before mouthing off 09:44  |  Elihu 10/04/08   50.   Socalmaverick - A little context please 09:55  |  Elihu 10/04/08   51.   Johnboy - you want to pick nits? 10:06  |  Elihu 10/04/08   52.   Typos and open-ended sentence 11:04  |  Shlomo 10/04/08   53.   #2 Jens Why is a fueling depot owned by Dor Alon called a militar 15:28  |  Jon 10/04/08   54.   On Iranian Orders! 16:09  |  S. Nortense 10/04/08   55.   Militant Leadership and Their Cohorts 17:40  |  Douglas Fireman 10/04/08   56.   Attack 21:37  |  Manny 10/04/08   57.   to #20 Lev Bronstein and all 23:35  |  Amish 10/04/08   58.   Clark or is it Carter 00:34  |  Sabra 11/04/08   59.   LeV Bronstein 00:35  |  Sabra 11/04/08

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