Breaking News
Disruptions in Ben Gurion Airport’s Communication System
Passengers at Ben Gurion airport experienced flight delays this morning due to radio disturbances originating from nearby Palestinian city of Ramallah that affected the airport’s communication system. The disruptions were reported to have ceased, allowing for flights to go back to their normal scheduled times.
This morning’s delays at Ben Gurion airport occurred on a day in which tens of thousands of travelers are expected to pass through the airport. While many tourists visit Israel for the Passover holiday, many Israelis travel abroad.
Arab-Israeli Resident in Galilee Arrested For Affiliation With Al-Qaeda Syria Branch
The District Court in Haifa sentenced Amin Snobar, resident of the Arab-Israeli town of Kafr Yasif located in the western Galilee region, to 5 years of prison after spending approximately a half a year in Syria training and exercising with the Jabhat al-Nusra rebel group in Syria’s civil war. Jabhat al-Nusra is the Syrian branch of the global al-Qaeda Islamist terror group.
The verdict also mentioned that Snobar illegally left Israel and illegally entered Syria. The Israeli government generally forbids its citizens from entering Syria at all since the country is still considered to be an enemy of Israel.
Suspected Jerusalem Bus Bomber Dies in Hospital, Hamas Claims Responsibility
An unidentified Palestinian man died on Wednesday from injuries suffered in the Jerusalem bus bombing earlier in the week that wounded 20, Shaare Zedek Medical Center has confirmed.
The man is presumed to be the bomber, Palestinian sources indicate, but his identity has yet to be released.
Hamas has claimed responsibility for the bombing, releasing fliers saying that the terrorist responsible is 19-year-old Hamas member Abdul Hamid Abu Sarur, from the Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem. The fliers refer to Abu Sarur as a “martyr,” indicating that the man who died in the Israeli hospital was in fact the bomber.
Late-Night Police Raids Arrest 31 Palestinians in Jerusalem
Israeli police arrested 31 Palestinians in a series of late-night raids in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya on charges of “popular terror” and disturbing public order, according to a police statement issued on Wednesday.
The raids had been planned for a long time and were aimed at arresting suspected rioters and confiscating weapons. Aside from those arrested, 18 other suspects were summoned for interrogation.
A pipe bomb was detonated outside a mosque during the raids causing no injuries, the statement said.
“Criminals should know that the long arm of the police will reach anyone who chooses violence,” the statement continued. “Removing criminal and terrorist elements from the public square, bringing them to justice, and placing them behind bars will allow the law-abiding community to live their lives comfortably and securely.”
Netanyahu: IDF Retains the Right to Operate in Area A
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the cabinet on Wednesday that “the IDF reserves the option of entering Area A and anywhere else that operational needs demand,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s office, which added that “no other agreement with the Palestinians has been made.”
Under the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Area A refers to territory under full Palestinian civil and security control. Following the wave of Palestinian suicide bombings against Israelis in the early 2000’s, however, the IDF reentered Area A and continues to conduct periodic counter-terror raids in the territory.
The cabinet also unanimously approved a multi-year IDF plan through the year 2020. “The plan will allow for acquiring advanced weapons techonology and building strength alongside increasing efficiency,” the statement said.
