2003 Terrorism Review
A. GENERAL DATA
In 2003, 3,838 terrorist attacks were perpetrated against Israeli targets, in which 213 Israelis (50 members of the security forces and
163 civilians) were murdered. In 2002, 5,301 terrorist attacks were
perpetrated against Israeli targets, in which 451 Israeli soldiers and civilians were murdered. Thus, there was an approximately 30% drop
in the number of attacks and a drop of over 50% in the number of fatalities
over the previous year.
However, it must be pointed out that the drop in the
number of attacks stems - inter alia - from the intensive counter-terrorist
actions of the IDF, Israel Police and ISA, as a result of which many attacks were foiled. Thus, for example,
there was an average of 40 warnings per day.
Following is a representative sample of prominent counter-terrorist
actions that were carried out in 2003:
December - A ramified infrastructure of Hamas terrorists who perpetrated shooting and bomb attacks in the Ramallah
and Binyamin areas in recent years, in the course of which 10 soldiers
and 12 civilians were murdered and many more were wounded, was uncovered.
The cell members planned to kidnap and decapitate soldiers for bargaining
purposes.
December - Munir Ravia, who was on his way to perpetrate
an Islamic Jihad suicide
attack at a school in Yokneam, was arrested.
December - A terrorist and the person transporting
him were arrested en route to perpetrate a Tanzim suicide attack in Rosh Ha'ayin. The two approached Kafr Kassem but turned
back due to the deployment of Israeli security forces in the area.
November - Balal Basha, who was due to lead a terrorist
to perpetrate an Islamic
Jihad suicide attack in Israel, was arrested. Tzavarin Abu Amara,
who was due to perpetrate the attack, and Manal Sabana, who liased between
the suicide terrorist and Islamic
Jihad operatives in Nablus,
were arrested along with him.
June - Two terrorists, who were en route to perpetrating
a Tanzim suicide attack
in the Petah Tikva market, were arrested in Kafr Kassem. They had a
powerful bomb, which was later detonated in a controlled explosion.
June - Two terrorists were killed near Bhaqa al-Garbiyeh.
The two were on their way to perpetrate a suicide attack in Haifa and carried two explosives-laden suitcases.
February - Two Hamas-affiliated
cells in Bethlehem were uncovered. They had planned a long series of
attacks, including an attempt on the life of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
The two cells had perpetrated the November 21, 2002 suicide bombing
in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat Menahem in which 11
civilians were murdered.
B. TRENDS AND CHARACTERISTICS
OF TERRORIST ACTIVITY
1. Special points
In 2003, the terrorist organizations used innovative methods in perpetrating
attacks. These include:
Attacks
against American targets - On October 15, 2003, a bomb was detonated
against a US Embassy convoy in the Gaza Strip, in which three American
security guards were murdered and one was wounded. This was the first
terrorist attack against a US target since 1967. The attack remains
unsolved.
Recruiting foreign nationals to perpetrate attacks
- In November, Jamal Akel, a Palestinian with a Canadian passport was
arrested. He had been recruited by Hamas to perpetrate an attack on a senior Israeli VIP in North America or
on members of the North American Jewish community.
Intention to assassinate the Prime Minister - In June,
Samar Atrash and Omar Sharif, residents of eastern Jerusalem and leaders
of the May 18, 2003 and June 11, 2003 attacks on the #6 and #14 buses
in Jerusalem, respectively,
were arrested. They admitted to being directed by Hamas to collect information on Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon and senior VIPs, apparently in order to attempt
abductions and/or assassinations.
Use of booby-trapped tunnels - In December, a 500-kilogram
explosive charge that had been hidden in a tunnel beneath an IDF outpost
on the border between the Gaza
Strip and Egypt near
Rafiah, was detonated. The outpost was damaged in the blast. Several
more explosive charges were detonated, and shots were fired, as the
soldiers were evacuated from the outpost.
Perpetrating two attacks on the same day - On September
9, 2003, at 17:45, a Hamas suicide-terrorist blew up at a hitchhiking stop near the IDF Tzrifin
base, murdering nine soldiers and civilians and wounding 14 others.
At 23:30, a suicide-terrorist blew up at a cafe in Jerusalem.
Murdering seven people and wounding 70 others.
Using animals in terrorist attacks - In January, Hamas used a booby-trapped donkey to perpetrate an attack in the Bethlehem
area. One civilian was injured.
Using ambulances for terrorism - In May, Amar Khalouan, and his handler
Zahour Hamdan, were arrested en route to perpetrate a suicide attack
in Petah Tikva. Khalouan admitted that the two had passed through roadblocks
in an ambulance.
2. Main centers of terrorism
In 2003, the terrorist infrastructures in Judea and Samaria were behind
the majority of the suicide attacks that were perpetrated in Israel,
and were responsible for the murders of over 60% of all victims from
terror attacks this year. Cells from the Gaza Strip perpetrated approximately
70% of the total number of attacks and were intensively engaged in producing
and upgrading war materiel.
It should be pointed out that the construction of widespread sections
of the security fence have made it difficult for the terrorist infrastructures
based in Samaria to smuggle terrorists into Israel. The terrorist organizations
are tactically adjusting to the new situation and are transferring the
dispatch points for terrorists to Judea, and are attempting to infiltrate
terrorists into Israel from those areas in Samaria not yet covered by
the security fence. To these ends, they are collecting information on
weak points. Jenin Islamic Jihad leader Imjad Abidi admitted during
questioning that if the security fence reached to the Jordan Valley,
terrorists from all of the organizations would need to think of completely
different ways to perpetrate attacks. Due to the progress in constructing
the security fence, Hamas's Samaria infrastructure has not succeeded
in perpetrating a suicide attack inside Israel since the October 10,
2002 suicide bombing at Bar Ilan junction on the Geha highway in which
an elderly woman was murdered.
3. Inter-organizational and inter-regional cooperation
In 2003, there was continued inter-organizational and inter-regional
cooperation among the various terrorist organizations. Among the most
prominent were: The transfer of operational know-how and war materiel
among infrastructures and the perpetrating of joint attacks. Several
of the major attacks were the result of inter-organizational cooperation.
The October 24, 2003 infiltration of the IDF post at Netzarim, in which
three soldiers were murdered and two were wounded, was a joint Hamas-Islamic
Jihad attack.
The June 8, 2003 infiltration of Erez checkpoint in
which four soldiers were murdered and four were wounded, was a joint Hamas-Fatah-Islamic
Jihad attack.
4. Involvement of international elements in directing attacks on
Israeli territory
In 2003, the leaderships of various terrorist organizations abroad
continued to be involved in terrorism on Israeli territory.
The involvement of foreign terrorists was characterized as follows:
Outlining policy guidelines vis-a-vis attacks and transferring directives
to perpetrate attacks; the transfer of funds; the transfer of war materiel
and know-how; and the recruitment of leaderships abroad in order to
promote the rehabilitation of the organizations' infrastructures.
Among the cases uncovered was: In August, Hamas cells
were uncovered in Jordan and Saudi Arabia in the context
of which Israeli Arab students who were studying at Jordanian universities
were recruited into Hamas. The students were located and recruited during
the Umra pilgrimage to Mecca.
5. Directing terrorism from inside prisons
Israeli prisons continued to serve as centers for the initiation and
direction of terrorist attacks beyond the prison walls. The actions
of prisoners included: directing attacks from inside prison, locating
and recruiting members, liaison between terrorists in the field, operational
coordination and cooperation, liaison with terrorists abroad and the
transfer of operational know-how to terrorist infrastructures in the
field.
In May, a Hamas cell from northern Jerusalem, whose members carried
blue Israeli identity cards, was uncovered; it had planned to abduct
soldiers. Cell members planned to abduct soldiers in order to bargain
for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The cell's activities were
directed by Hamas prisoners in Ashkelon Prison via letters passed on
by the prisoners' relatives.
6. Use of special populations
The continuing difficulty of terrorist infrastructures in Judea and
Samaria, especially the latter, in perpetrating attacks inside the Green
Line have obliged them to seek the assistance of populations that enjoy
freedom of movement in Israel. In order to assure the success of attacks
deep inside Israel, Palestinian terrorist organizations are increasingly
seeking the aid of special populations:
Use of Israeli Arabs in terrorism
In 2003, Israeli
Arabs continued to serve as an auxiliary arm for the terrorist infrastructures,
especially those in Samaria, regarding the perpetration of attacks inside
the Green Line. In practice,
Israeli Arabs assisted in the perpetration of four suicide attacks
inside the Green Line in which 45 Israelis were murdered (approximately
90% of all those who were murdered in terrorist attacks originating
in Samaria). In 2003, 26 Israeli
Arab terror cells - with a total of 43 members - were uncovered.
The involvement of Israeli
Arabs in terrorist attacks included: transporting terrorists, gathering
intelligence on targets, and transporting war materiel and raw materials
for the manufacture of explosives. It must be emphasized that the assistance
of a few Israeli Arabs in transporting Palestinians staying in Israel
illegally for terrorist purposes, claimed a heavy toll.
In March, the first explosives laboratory inside Israel
was uncovered. Israeli
Arabs led by Muhammad Masri, a resident of Jaljuliya, operated the
laboratory. Cell members planned to perpetrate a car bombing in Israel.
Also in March, three Israeli Arabs from Kafr Manda - Mahmoud Abdel
Khalim, Ibrahim Abdel Khamid, and Muhammad Abdel Khamid - were arrested
on suspicion of planning to perpetrate hostile actions in northern Israel
at the behest of Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip.
Jamal Mahajaneh, an Israeli Arab from Umm al-Fahm, admitted to transporting
Hanadi Jarada, who perpetrated the October 4, 2003 suicide bombing at
Maxim's restaurant in Haifa, in which 21 Israelis were murdered and
60 were wounded.
Use of Arabs from eastern Jerusalem in terrorism
Arabs from eastern Jerusalem continue to be a significant factor vis-a-vis the perpetration of large-scale
attacks inside Israel, especially in Jerusalem,
mainly at the behest of terrorist infrastructures in Judea. Hamas has
been prominent in recruiting and operating Arabs from eastern Jerusalem,
who took part in five suicide attacks inside Israel, in which 64 Israelis
were murdered. Arabs from eastern Jerusalem have been involved in the
full range of operational aspects regarding the perpetrating of attacks:
perpetrating attacks, gathering information, receiving and dispatching
terrorists and locating and recruiting members.
In September, three Arab residents of eastern Jerusalem, who had perpetrated
the August 19, 2003 suicide bombing of a #2 bus in Jerusalem in which
23 Israelis were murdered and approximately 120 were wounded, at the
behest of Hamas, were arrested.
Use of foreign nationals and those holding foreign documents in
terrorism
In 2003, as in previous years, the terrorist organizations made sinister
use of foreign elements, and civilians holding foreign documentation,
in order to perpetrate terror attacks against Israeli targets, both
in Israel and abroad.
On April 30, 2003, Hamas perpetrated the suicide attack
at Mike's Place in Tel
Aviv, in which three people were murdered and over 60 were wounded.
The attack was perpetrated by Asif Hanif, 22, with the help of Omar
Khan Sharif, 27, both British citizens. This was the first terror attack
that was perpetrated by terrorists with foreign passports.
On November 1, 2003, Jamal Akal, 23, originally from Nuseirat, and
a Canadian citizen, was arrested by the ISA. Akal had arrived in the
Gaza Strip, ostensibly on a family visit. During his time in the Gaza
Strip, he was trained by Hamas to attempt the assassination of a senior
Israeli VIP in the US and of US and Canadian Jewish community leaders.
This was the first instance in which Hamas sought to perpetrate an attack
on Jewish and Israeli targets abroad.
Involvement of women and children in terrorism
During 2003, Palestinian terrorist infrastructures continued to use
women, both as suicide terrorists and as assistants, in order to perpetrate
attacks inside Israel. The widespread use of women stems from the familiar
assumption that women arouse less suspicion at checkpoints and that
searches of women are lighter. 2003 marked Islamic Jihad's first use
of women as suicide terrorists. Such attacks included the October 4,
2003 suicide bombing at Maxim's restaurant in Haifa, in which 21 Israelis
were murdered and 60 were wounded and the May 19, 2003 suicide bombing
at the Amakim Mall in Afula, in which three people were murdered and
over 40 were wounded
In 2003, security forces arrested 22 Palestinian women for involvement
in terrorism - 12 potential terrorists and 10 assistants.
The terrorist organizations continue to recruit innocent-looking minors
for terrorism purposes. In March, security forces arrested Kotzai Salameh,
17, from Jeba, an 11th grade student. Salameh had failed to carry out
an attempted suicide attack, for which he had been recruited by his
older brother.
7. War materiel
In 2003, terrorist elements were again prominent in
seeking to upgrade their organizations' capabilities. The Gaza Strip
continued to feature prominently as a center for Palestinian war materiel
production. Such activities included: smuggling a vast range of war
materiel from Israeli territory into the Palestinian Authority areas,
independently developing and producing war materiel and passing along
technical know-how. In 2003, the terrorist organizations also continued
to use chemicals purchased on the civilian market for terrorism purposes.
The terrorist organizations continued their efforts to improve and upgrade
the Kassam rockets. In 2003, more than 40 tunnels used for smuggling
war materiel into the Gaza Strip, were discovered (see http://www.idf.il/newsite/english/1010-1.stm and http://www.idf.il/newsite/english/122403-3.stm).
8. Iran and Hizballah vis-a-vis the Palestinians
Since August, there has been a significant increase
in Hizballah's
involvement in Tanzim terrorist activity. In practice, Hizballah has
taken control of Tanzim activities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. Similarly, Iranian and Hizballah elements
have continued to exploit their links with the terrorist organizations'
leaderships in order to both initiate and support terrorist activity. Iranian and Hizballah elements
have closely monitored the organizations' conduct vis-a-vis reining
in terrorism in order to wreck moves which could likely lead to the
putting down of the current wave of Palestinian violence.
In October, a senior Tanzim terrorist from Jeba, Faras Khaliliya was
arrested. Khaliliya admitted that he was in telephone contact with a
Lebanese Hizballah terrorist. Khaliliya disclosed that he had received
instructions to perpetrate terror attacks in Judea and Samaria and along
the Green Line and had also received financial aid from a Lebanese Hizballah
terrorist.
9. Iran and Hizballah vis-a-vis Israeli Arabs
Iran continues to view Israeli Arabs as a strategic target to undermine Israel's
internal stability. Efforts to increase activity to solidify an operational
and intelligence infrastructure and to make connections with central
and influential organizations in the Arab sector have been noticeable
this year. The purpose of such activities is to use them to undermine
the state.
In December, two brothers from Ghajar, Muhammad Shamali, 22, and Ahmad
Shamali, 24, were arrested for providing assistance to Hizballah terrorists
in Lebanon - including passing information, receiving orders to purchase
technical literature - and smuggling drugs into Israel.
10. Involvement of Palestinian security services in terror:
The Palestinian Authority security services, which are supposed to
work to fight and thwart terror, have been conspicuous in their support
for such activities.
On November 18, 2003, Gavar Ahres, a Palestinian policeman, perpetrated
a shooting attack at the Tunnel Road checkpoint south of Jerusalem,
murdering two Israeli soldiers. He is currently being detained by the
Palestinian security services for his part in the attack.
In December, Manir Raviyah, a Palestinian security operative from Ramallah
and a member of the Islamic Jihad, and Marwad Abu Zitun, were arrested
in the Bardale village mosque. The two were armed with an explosive
belt and were on their way to perpetrate a terror attack inside Israel.
While there was a significant drop in the number of
terror attacks in 2003, it must be remembered that many horrific and
devastating attacks were prevented while in the final stages of preparation
by the arrests of terrorists who were already on their way to perpetrate
the attacks.
Sources: Israel Security Agency |