Israel Captures Islamic Jihad Leader
Julie Stahl
Jerusalem Bureau Chief
Anwar Alian, the leader of Islamic Jihad in the West Bank town of Tulkarem, was allegedly planning to carry out a car bomb attack inside Israel in the near future. He is blamed for many shooting and bombing attacks in the area of Tulkarem, security sources said on Friday.
Alian surrendered without a fight after several hours. His aid, Yahi Tawir and 21 other wanted Palestinians were also arrested during the two-day sweep. Tawir is accused of perpetrating terror attacks in the Tulkarem area.
An explosives laboratory was also uncovered and detonated, the army said.
Islamic Jihad, which claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack in Netanya on Sunday in which dozens of people were wounded, is committed to the destruction of the State of Israel.
Alian's brother, Ahmed, who was affiliated with Hamas, was a suicide bomber who blew himself up two years ago in a terrorist attack in Netanya, killing three and wounding 55.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been responsible for most of the deadly suicide bombing attacks in the last 30 months.
"The purpose of this operation was to go after [leader of Islamic Jihad in Tulkarem] who we knew was planning to carry out two terror attacks, one involved a car bomb and the second involved a suicide bomber," a senior security source said in a telephone interview. The source added that both were to have taken place soon.
"We prevented two horrendous terror attacks," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The temporary removal of some 1000 male residents between the ages of 14 and 40 from the refugee camp to a UNRWA school created an uproar.
PA minister Saeb Erekat called the move a population transfer, although the residents were all back in their homes on Friday. Human rights groups also decried the move.
An official from UNRWA, which is the main organization serving Palestinian refugees, was quoted as saying that the move violated legal norms.
But the senior security source justified the move by saying that Israel was trying to avoid civilian casualties by removing innocent civilians. "We were trying to save lives," she said.
"The fact that the complex operation ended without any casualties shows the importance of such measures," the army said in a statement.
Earlier, Israeli forces arrested Abed Al Haadi Hamshri, Tulkarem head of Tanzim, part of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction.
At least six Palestinians were killed during Israeli operations in the last two days, including a 14-year-old boy who tried to flee from soldiers as they were attempting to arrest a would-be suicide bomber.
Three would-be suicide bombers were captured this week, two in Nablus and one in Kalkilya, the security source said.
Despite the war in Iraq and international talks about the so-called "road map" to arrive at the establishment of a Palestinian state by 2005, there has been no let-up in attempts to carry out terror attacks.
"As you can see the intent [to carry out attacks] is still there," the senior source said. "[We are] operating in a continuing relentless battle against terror."
Secretary of State Colin Powell was quoted on Thursday as saying that just because the road map would be issued it did not mean that "magical things" would happen and he said it would not be imposed on the two sides.
Palestinians as well as members of the Quartet - U.S., European Union, Russia and United Nations - have been pressing for the publishing of the road map, which has been postponed at least twice by Israeli national elections and the beginning of the war in Iraq.
Powell said the road map was due to be presented following the confirmation of newly appointed PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas's cabinet, expected in the next two weeks.
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