Sharp rise in Hamas attempts to abduct soldiers
A dramatic rise has been recorded in the
number of attempts to kidnap IDF soldiers in the West Bank, the Yedioth
Ahronoth daily reported Friday.
According to the Shin Bet internal security
service, 33 kidnapping attempts have been foiled since the beginning of the
year, compared with 24 thwarted attempts during all of 2012.
Senior officers in the IDF Central Command
warned that over past few months Hamas has stepped up its efforts to abduct
soldiers and use them as "bargaining chips" to bring about the
release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.
According to data provided by the Shin Bet,
some of the kidnapping attempts were foiled just hours before they were
scheduled to be carried out.
The senior officials told Yedioth Ahronoth
that the prisoner exchange deal which secured the release of Gilad Shalit
encouraged Hamas to attempt additional kidnappings. These kidnapping
operations, the officials say, can be carried out by only two or three
terrorists with switchblades or pistols. The terrorists will most likely use a
contact inside Israel to enter the country, they said.
"Hamas realizes that it will be
difficult to manufacture rockets in the West Bank and launch them at Israel, so
it is opting for a much more advantageous method of operation," one of the
senior officers said.
"We detect within Hamas the desire and
capability needed for these kidnappings, as well as a lot of audacity. So far
we have been able to thwart the kidnapping attempts, but the scope is
extraordinary, and it is clear we will not be able to foil these attempts
forever," he added.
As part of the efforts to prevent
abductions, the army has decided to further enforce strict guidelines put in
place to prevent abductions, such as forbidding soldiers from hitchhiking.
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