1. ISRAEL INDICTS TWO ALLEGED AL-QA’IDA OPERATIVES… Two Palestinian men indicted by Israel on Tuesday for planning a double suicide bombing in Jerusalem were said to have taken money from Al-Qa’ida. ‘Azzam Abu Al-‘Adas and Bilal Hafnawi were alleged to have met with Al-Qa’ida representatives in Jordan where they received instructions and were paid thousands of dollars. Three weeks ago, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas warned that Al-Qa’ida had infiltrated into the West Bank and Gaza Strip. But while Israeli officials have indicated that some terrorists tied to Al-Qa’ida are trying to operate inside of Israel as well as in the Palestinian areas, the belief is that the number is small and that it would not be in the interest of Hamas to pursue closer ties to the international terror network.
2. HOUSE CONSIDERS HOMELAND SECURITY FOREIGN ASSISTANCE BILL… The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill designed to encourage cooperation between the United States and other select nations on issues of homeland security. Under the legislation, the Department of Homeland Security will create and fund an international cooperation unit that will work on research and development in matters related to homeland security. According to the text of the bill, the international “Partners shall include Israel, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore, and other allies in the global war on terrorism, as appropriate.”
3. ISRAEL CHARGES IRAN SENT $1.8 MILLION FOR ATTACKS AGAINST IT… Iran sent at least $1.8 million to the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in the West Bank to fund attacks against Israel. The allegation was made on Tuesday by Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, who said the amount represented only one month’s transfer of funds. Mofaz claimed the path the money takes is from Iran to Syria where Hizbullah fighters make the transfer to Islamic Jihad inside of Israel’s post-1967 territories.
4. THREE PALESTINIANS KILLED AT KISSUFIM CROSSING; SECOND WOULD-BE BOMBER IN 24 HOURS CAPTURED… Israeli troops killed three Palestinian men Thursday morning they say were seen planting an explosive device north of the Kissufim checkpoint, near the security fence that separates Israel and the Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli report, the three were spotted by soldiers in a watchtower. A tank was alerted and fired, killing all three of the men. There was also support fire from the air. For the second time in 24 hours, Israeli security forces have captured a would-be suicide bomber before he could carry out his plans. An elite army undercover unit arrested three members of Fatah early Wednesday morning. Two were said to be facilitators; the third the would-be bomber himself. The trio had not yet picked up the suicide bomb belt that is now at the center of a search by security personnel. Israeli sources report 13 alerts of actual attacks in the final stages of preparation as of Wednesday morning.
5. BIRD FLU SPREADING THROUGH ISRAEL, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY… Bird flu continues to spread through Israel and the Palestinian Authority. On Thursday, Israel’s Agriculture Ministry reported confirmation of an outbreak in an agricultural community located in the Jordan Valley. Moshav Beqa’ot was put under quarantine on Wednesday after dozens of dead turkeys were found in a coop. Israeli health officials met with their Palestinian counterparts on Wednesday as joint efforts to contain the disease began.